Bilbao’s San Mamés stadium, a fortress of Basque pride, crumbled under Manchester United’s relentless first-half assault on April 16, 2025, in the Europa League semi-final first leg. The 3-0 scoreline, carved out by a masterful Bruno Fernandes, left Athletic Club reeling and United with one foot in the final. This wasn’t just a win—it was a statement, driven by a captain who turned chaos into precision.
The match sparked to life in the 30th minute when Casemiro nodded home a corner, exploiting a rare lapse in Athletic’s set-piece defense. The Basque side, known for their grit, looked rattled but held firm—until disaster struck five minutes later. Defender Daniel Vivian, lunging to stop Rasmus Hojlund’s darting run in the box, clipped the Danish striker’s heel. The referee hesitated, but VAR didn’t. Red card. Penalty. Up stepped Fernandes, cool as a winter morning, slotting the ball past Unai Simón to make it 2-0. The stadium, a cauldron of noise moments earlier, fell into a stunned hush.
Fernandes wasn’t done. In the dying seconds of first-half stoppage time, he latched onto a loose ball just outside the box. One touch to steady, another to unleash a low, fizzing drive that skidded past Simón’s outstretched glove. 3-0. Game over, or so it felt. The second half saw United manage the clock, while Athletic, down to ten men, chased shadows. Fernandes, orchestrating from midfield, completed 45 of 58 passes, created three key chances, and won six of eight ground duels, per official UEFA stats. His five accurate crosses carved open Athletic’s depleted backline time and again.
The numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story. Fernandes, with his sleeves rolled up and boots scuffed, was everywhere—snapping into tackles, barking orders, and threading passes that turned defense into attack in a blink. His brace—one from the spot, one from open play—marked his ninth and tenth goals in the competition this season. Casemiro’s opener set the stage, but Fernandes was the conductor, rewriting the script of a tie many thought would be a slog.
Athletic’s Ernesto Valverde, visibly deflated in his post-match press conference, called Vivian’s red card “decisive” but offered no excuses. United’s Ruben Amorim, meanwhile, praised his captain’s “relentless hunger.” The return leg at Old Trafford looms on April 23, with United favored to advance. A potential final against Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in their semi-final first leg, awaits.
Fernandes, named UEFA’s Player of the Match, walked off to a standing ovation from the traveling United fans. His 80 touches, 1.58 expected goals, and 0.18 expected assists, as logged by Sofascore, underscored a performance that was both clinical and chaotic. Athletic Club, unbeaten at home in Europe this season until that night, had no answer. The second leg beckons, but for now, United’s captain has tilted the tie firmly in their favor.