Athletic Club vs Manchester United 0-3 Europa League – as it happened

That’s it from our live coverage of the first leg of the Europa League semifinal.

United have one foot in the final before the second leg at Old Trafford.

Tottenham have similarly set themselves up with a 3-1 win.

Do join us on Saturday for the boxing as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez takes on William Scull.

For now, though – from me, Kevin Hand – it’s goodbye.

Click here to read our match report following the game in Bilbao.

“You can never predict a scoreline like that,” the Manchester United captain told TNT Sports.

“They are a very tough team, the atmosphere was unbelievable – crazy.

“I knew they were very passionate about the club, but never thought it was like this.

“I love this atmosphere. I love to play in this kind of atmosphere.

“The result is unbelievable. We got the result in the first half and in the second half, controlled the game.

“We should have pushed a little bit more in the second half, be a little bit quicker on the ball to go forward, but we controlled the game.

“We knew that the atmosphere will be bouncing and they will press us in the first 20 minutes. We just need to try to play on the ball, calm them down and when the ball goes out, we go a little bit slower, and it will come to us.

“Then we got the goal, we got a penalty, a red card, and from there on we could score the third goal quickly.

“It was brilliant to stay on the ball. We knew they wouldn’t press as much as we would have preferred because if they did, we could have played through them.

“We were a little slow on the ball, waiting for them to step up, but they wanted to keep the result like this to come back in the second leg, and we need to be aware of that.

“I want to score and I want to assist. It’s a big part of my game. The club bought me because I scored 32 goals in one season. I just need to keep delivering because if you want to be at the highest level, you have to keep delivering.

“Sporting was a massive club, but United is a global club. It’s unbelievable the attention and pressure we get. It’s what we love to do. It’s football.

“We have to enjoy it because when I finish my career, I will be a lot more relaxed. I told the manager and the physio that when I die, I will have a lot of time to rest myself.

“We want our fans to travel to Bilbao again [for the final] and ourselves as well.”

“The result is really good, but we have to understand the result also,” the Manchester United manager told TNT Sports.

“We struggled a lot in the beginning, and then the goal from Casemiro and the sending off changed the game.

“But that is a good thing. With a little bit of luck, we managed to keep in the game. Any game can change with one situation.

“We had the opportunities to score one more, and this is not done because they can do the same thing in Old Trafford.

“They are really strong, really intense. A sending off can happen in our stadium, so we need to be really prepared.”

“You can feel that especially in the beginning, players like Ugarte, with a lot of experience, was a little nervous. Dorgu was a little nervous. It’s a semifinal, it’s not the Champions League, but it is a European competition.

“Players like Maguire, Fernandes and Casemiro help a lot.

“We are in the advantage. We have our fans but this could change. Anything can happen in one game.

“Of course, we are confident, but we need to be really careful with our players against Brentford [on Sunday].

“You can feel they are tired, so we have to manage the players.”

“The first 20 mins were difficult. The crowd were super loud and the intensity was high,” the Manchester United defender told TNT Sports.

“They come out for us, we looked a little nervous and made a few mistakes in the first 20 minutes.

“But I thought the lads grew into the game and we weathered the storm. We knew we would get our chances, and we were really clinical in that first half.

“The tie is not done, we will be focused and ready and Old Trafford and I’m sure it will be like this place.

“It was a professional second half. We had the chances to get the fourth. We, maybe, could have played at a bigger tempo, maybe we played a little too safe, but it’s a great victory in the end.

“It’s a great start, three goals and a clean sheet, all the pressure is on us because everyone will expect us to go through to the final.”

“Amazing result. First half, they were really good,” the former United midfielder told TNT Sports 1.

“Aided by the sending off, but I thought second half, they were a little sloppy. You don’t give the opposition a sniff when they are down to 10 men.”

The game was secured in the first half, boosted by the red card, but United improved as the first half went on, and the second half was a mature performance – that from a side that have slipped up so many times.

The free kick was the last moment of the match. United take a three-goal advantage into the second leg.

Djalo bends the free kick from 23 metres (25 yards), but the United keeper holds onto his right.

90+5 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

Casemiro fouls his man on the edge of the box, and there is one last chance for a shot on goal.

90+4 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

Gomez meets a deep cross from the right wing but heads over when unmarked. He couldn’t quite get up high enough to control the effort.

90+2 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

United’s corner is cleared, but the away side maintain possession.

90+1 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

Shaw sends a deep ball to de Ligt, whose cross is blocked for a corner.

90 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

Another swift, one-touch move results in Shaw pulling back for the United captain, who fires over from 12 yards with the outside of his boot.

Inaki Williams is replaced by Djalo.

86 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

Garnacho and Dorgu are replaced by Amad and Mainoo.

The Athletic keeper was forced to parry a snap shot from Hojlund just before. It was straight at the stopper but another chance for a fourth goes begging for United.

84 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

Amad is preparing to come on. A United free kick is taken short to Dorgu, but his effort is blocked. United are forced all the way back to Onana. It would have been easy to forget the United keeper was playing.

82 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd

Fernandes bends a low effort from range that is parried away.

Casemiro receives the ball on the right and whips in a dangerous cross that just eludes everyone.

81 mins: Athletic Club 0-3 Man Utd