Manchester United took a big step towards the final of the second most prestigious European tournament with a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. The match saw Ruben Amorim’s team dominate completely, leaving the shocked home fans in disbelief.

Casemiro scored the first goal in the 30th minute with a header after a spectacular run by Harry Maguire, breaking the deadlock and sparking celebrations among United fans.

Bilbao’s nightmare worsened when Dani Vivian was sent off with a straight red card in the 35th minute for a foul on Rasmus Hojlund. Bruno Fernandes then calmly converted the penalty, sending the ball past Julen Agirrezabala.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Fernandes added a third goal with a precise strike, deepening the hosts’ misery. Amorim’s team maintained their defensive solidity in the second half, preserving their commanding lead.

Bilbao players argued that Alejandro Garnacho had handled the ball before the penalty incident, which should have been called as a foul, but the referee allowed play to continue without VAR intervention. Ernesto Valverde, Bilbao’s coach, said in the post-match press conference: “We protested Garnacho’s handball. I think the ball touched his hand, but the referee decided to award the penalty and send off Vivian.”

Williams, Bilbao’s winger and brother of Nico Williams, also criticized the refereeing before the penalty was awarded, accusing the officials of completely ignoring Garnacho’s handball. He said: “We have the ability to come back. Some scenes are questionable. The incident before the penalty was Garnacho’s handball, which the referee missed.

It was a battle between Vivian and him. With the slightest contact, he went down, and unfortunately, the referee accepted it. We weren’t sharp enough, but we shouldn’t make excuses. We’re 3-0 down, but we can turn it around. We’ve seen Lyon cause them problems at their ground, and we’ll try to do the same.

Our performance throughout the season speaks for itself. We’re in the final stages of our dream this season. Our fans have always been behind us, and we’ll give everything we have.”