Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
There haven’t been too many times down the years when Manchester United have been deservedly beaten over a two-legged European tie. Athletic Bilbao did just that and in some style too, to move through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Bilbao’s young team didn’t quite put in a performance as good as the one that defeated United 3-2 at Old Trafford but it was still good enough to go through and in truth the 5-3 aggregate score-line flattered United.
If United were to have any chance of getting the two goals they needed at the San Mames to give themselves a chance of going through, they needed to start the game on the frontfoot putting immediate pressure on a Bilbao side who love to play when in control.
Sadly that never happened as Bilbao came out the blocks fast with Markel Susaeta impressing early on seeing a free-kick deflected narrowly wide before seeing a goal-bound effort blocked by Jonny Evans inside the area.
Tom Cleverley was a surprise-choice to start in centre-midfield alongside Carrick. Good play from the youngster and Wayne Rooney on the edge of the box sent Ashley Young through into the area but Bilbao’s keeper Gorka Iraizoz was out quickly to gather the ball.
Fernando Llorente then burst into life and a great through-ball picked out Iker Muniain running into the box. His low shot was out of the reach of David De Gea but hit the keeper’s right-hand post with Oscar De Marcos blasting the rebound over the bar.
It was a close shave for United but the hosts made amends for it on 23 minutes when Fernando Amorebieta’s long ball caught out Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra allowing Llorente to brilliantly volley a shot from the edge into De Gea’s far-corner.
It was a great strike from the forward who is destined to be Spain’s first-choice striker at the upcoming European championships and was a finish reminiscent of Robin van Persie’s goal for Arsenal at home to Everton this season.
United then had a great chance to equalise but sadly Giggs couldn’t direct enough power or swerve onto his header from close-range from Ashley Young’s cross and his effort on goal was deflected frustratingly over the bar past Iraizoz.
Llorente soon went off injured. It was a blow for Marcelo Bielsa but one that he would have anticipated coming into the game. It was a gamble that had paid off handsomely with the goal and a fresh Gaizka Toquero coming on as Llorente’s replacement.
Needing to score three unanswered goals in the second-half was always going to be a tough task for United and sadly it was always a mission too impossible for the side to achieve, as Bilbao ruthlessly put the game to bed.
But for a poor finish right-back Andoni Iraola could have scored one of the goals of the season but after sidestepping into the area and past a couple of defenders he decided to shoot the ball towards De Gea’s left-hand post instead of the right-one.
The ball trickled agonisingly wide of the goal with the defender being left to smile at what could have been had he tucked the ball home. Iraola was looking lively and a great ball presented Toquero with a chance but he blazed over inside the area.
United were seeing little of the ball and perhaps with Sunday’s encounter at Wolves in mind, Sir Alex Ferguson decided to accept defeat and took of Ferdinand and Carrick with Chris Smalling and Paul Pogba coming on for the final half-hour.
The double-substitution made little effect as shortly after Bilbao doubled their lead. Iraola broke clear down the right and despite Smalling doing his best to head the ball out of danger, De Marcos blasted a deflected shot past De Gea and into the net.
But for poor finishing from Toquero United could have been 3-0 down before they grabbed a consolation through a clinical yet typical strike from Rooney outside the box which gave Bilbao’s keeper Iraizoz no chance.
It was a great personal strike for Rooney but one which will sadly be a footnote over United’s season. It’s not often United exit Europe in March, the fact they’ve done so having been in both the Champions League and Europa League this season will only hurt more.
United: De Gea, Evra, Ferdinand (Smalling), Evans, Rafael, Young, Carrick (Pogba), Cleverley, Giggs (Welbeck), Park, Rooney.
Star Man
Whilst it would be easy to pick out the star trio (Llorente, Muniain and Javi Martinez) of Bilbao’s young star-packed constellation, it would be foolish to ignore the performance of Andoni Iraola. He might have missed out on scoring a great solo goal but defensively he was sound and kept Young quiet, which on his current-form isn’t easy to do.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
