Manchester United 4-1 Athletic Club (7-1 agg): Inspired Mason Mount sparks late barrage to set up all-English final | OneFootball

United hit four in the late stages to book their tickets to the Europa League final

Manchester United confirmed their spot in an all-English Europa League final after scoring four late goals to deny Athletic Club’s threatened comeback.

Mason Mount was the mastermind behind their late resurgence, scoring two spectacular goals including a 40-yard chip to put the tie out of reach after United had struggled through the opening 70 minutes.

Trailing by three as they arrived at Old Trafford, Athletic Club started fast and were on top for long stretches of the match, opening the scoring after half an hour and threatening to add more throughout the second half, but saw their dreams of a remontada swiftly extinguished by Mount’s assault, complemented by efforts from Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund.

It was a deserved lead for the visitors on the night, and the tie was ripe for them to take in the second half. They maintained their momentum after the break, continuing to pile pressure on United, and were undoubtedly the more threatening side, but the lack of goals was an obvious cause for concern. While possession in the final third was plentiful, Onana went largely unchallenged.

With 70 minutes played, United were yet to muster a shot on target, but they were revitalised by Ruben Amorim’s substitutes, namely Mount, introduced after 62 minutes. He dealt a punishing blow exactly ten minutes later, receiving the ball on the half turn in a congested penalty area before drilling a finish beyond a helpless Julen Agirrezabala to put the tie to bed.

But United did not stop there, heaping the misery on Athletic Club, whose heads had dropped.

Casemiro headed home from Bruno Fernandes’ cross before Hojlund tapped in to sign, seal, and deliver United’s progression to the Europa League final, leaving Athletic Club to wonder what could have been.

Mount then offered the cherry on top, spotting the keeper off his line and delivering a coolly taken chip from range to send Old Trafford into rapture.

United will return to Bilbao later this month in an all-English final, facing Tottenham at the Estadio de San Mames.