Europa League semis: United put one foot in final after win 3-0 vs Bilbao

Manchester: The rescue act is on for Manchester United and Tottenham.

Big wins for both teams in the first legs of the Europa League semifinals on Thursday kept alive their hopes of lifting a major trophy and qualifying for the Champions League.

United beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at the San Mames in Spain and Tottenham won 3-1 at home against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt.

Both United and Spurs have endured miserable domestic campaigns and are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League. But European club soccer’s second-tier Europa League could yet see one of them salvage their season.

Not only is silverware on the line, but so is an unlikely route to the lucrative Champions League as the prize for winning the competition.

United in control

United produced possibly their finest performance of the season to take a commanding first-leg lead against 10-man Bilbao.

Casemiro headed Ruben Amorim’s team in front in the 30th minute after a cross from Harry Maguire.

It was 2-0 seven minutes later when Rasmus Hojlund was brought down in the box by Dani Vivian and a penalty was awarded after a VAR review. Vivian was shown a red card for the foul and Bruno Fernandes converted from the spot. Fernandes got his second and United’s third in the 45th when he ran through on goal and curled a shot past goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala.

The United captain has now scored 19 goals and provided 16 assists in all competitions this season. According the statistician Opta, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is the only Premier League player to have made more goal contributions this term with 56.

“I want to score goals, I want to be involved. I know one of my qualities is getting goals and making assists, so I just need to keep going,” Fernandes said.

United’s win could have been even more emphatic with Noussair Mazraoui and Casemiro both hitting the woodwork. The second leg is at Old Trafford next Thursday.