And so, Manchester United are Bilbao-bound again. The Europa League final awaits…
Having cruised to a surprise 3-0 win away from home last week at San Mames, the Red Devils endured a typically nervous start on what should have been a routine night at Old Trafford, with Mikel Jauregizar’s first-half stunner sparking renewed hope for a depleted Athletic Club side.
The away side’s dominance continued in the early knockings of the second period, with United looking set to potentially pay for their inability to kill the tie sooner, with Alejandro having spurned a gilt-edged chance before the break.
Thankfully for Ruben Amorim, the Portuguese rolled the dice with his 60-minute substitutions and the right number came up, with the introduction of Mason Mount, in particular, helping to reinvigorate the misfiring hosts.
Two stunning strikes from the Englishman – which marked his first goals at the Theatre of Dreams in any competition – bookended further efforts for both Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund, with the Premier League side romping to a 7-1 aggregate scoreline in the end.
It was a night that began in shaky fashion, but this one was all about the finishers – in truth, it was the night that Mount finally came to the party.
Mason Mount's magic Man Utd moment
What a week it has been for the former Chelsea man. Handed his first start since his return from injury against Brentford at the weekend, the 26-year-old duly popped up with the opener at the Gtech, before again delivering the goods this time around.
In truth, Amorim’s repeated praise for the injury-hit playmaker has looked more like blind faith than anything else in recent months, with Mount seemingly heading the way of a litany of failed signings before him. Indeed, two goals and only one assist in 41 games before Thursday night’s encounter made for grim reading.
And yet, is there life in this £55m man? On the evidence of last night, there certainly is, with the forgotten talent sparking United’s in-game comeback with a delightful cruyff-turn and curler into the far corner.
As journalist Samuel Luckhurst noted, there were shades of Federico Macheda’s famous Aston Villa effort about that equaliser, although Mount went on to emulate a far more notable name in David Beckham at the death, having lofted the ball into the empty net from range.
Amid a largely wretched two seasons in Manchester, the Champions League winner has hardly come close to reaching the heights of his fellow number seven, although this electric cameo – hopefully – can be the start of something brighter.
In the short term, perhaps the Cobham graduate has etched his name into Amorim’s showpiece starting lineup. The same is also true of Amad Diallo.
Man Utd star now "has to start the final"
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and well, that is certainly true in the case of Amad.
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The shining light of Amorim’s early tenure, the Ivorian was cruelly struck down by injury in mid-February, having at that stage looked almost certain to miss the remainder of the campaign.
Having since defied the odds to work his way back to fitness, the 22-year-old has simply picked up where he left off earlier this year, as indicated by his stunning strike off the bench against the Bees on Sunday.
GK
Andre Onana
RCB
Matthijs de Ligt
CB
Harry Maguire
LCB
Leny Yoro
RWB
Noussair Mazraoui
CM
Bruno Fernandes
CM
Casemiro
LWB
Patrick Dorgu
RAM
Amad
LAM
Mason Mount
ST
Rasmus Hojlund
Again called upon as an impact player on Thursday night, the former Atalanta starlet quickly showcased why he now “has to start the final”, according to Luckhurst, after putting in a dazzling 30-minute showing.
Involved in the initial build-up to Mount’s first of the night, having surged down the left flank, the diminutive speedster was particularly crucial in teeing up Hojlund late on, having skipped his way into the penalty area before picking out the goal-shy Dane from the byline.
As he showcased amid that assist, Amad is simply a relentless and electric presence down that right flank. At one stage, he evaded his man with a sensational turn on the halfway line, albeit with teenager Harry Amass unable to convert at the end of that fine sweeping move, following another key intervention from Mount in between.
In all, that 8/10 showing – as per Luckhurst – from the dynamic left-footer saw him successfully complete 100% of his attempted dribbles and win 100% of his total duels, taking no time at all to get up to the speed of the game.
That standout cameo may suggest that Amad – and Mount too – could well be vital in helping to change the game in the final against Tottenham Hotspur, although Thursday served as a reminder as to why he simply must be in the starting XI, be it as a wing-back or a number ten.
With options now there for Amorim to call upon, as his squad edges back to full fitness, perhaps United may well finally peak at just the right time. Bring on Bilbao!
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