Manchester United vs Athletic Bilbao predictions: Europa League tips and odds
Our expert has three tips for the second leg of the Europa League semi-final, between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford on Thursday (kick-off, 8pm), all of which were successful outcomes in the first leg.
Manchester United vs Athletic Bilbao tips
Odds courtesy of BoyleSports. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Already a BoyleSports member? Check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts.
Bilbao's travel bug to persist
It may seem unusual to back United to keep a clean sheet in victory after they conceded four goals at Brentford on Sunday, but this bet has more to do with Bilbao's form than that of the hosts.
The Basque club have failed to score in any of their past four away games and also drew a blank in the first leg, which United won 3-0. In addition, their top three goalscorers this season, brothers Nico and Inaki Williams, and Oihan Sancet, are all missing for this match.
There are some caveats to that defeat, most notably that Dani Vivian was sent off after 35 minutes for Ernesto Valverde's team. Yet their prolonged issues with scoring suggest that boosted odds of 11/4 should represent some value and are worth the gamble.
Fernandes rolling back the years
Bruno Fernandes delivered again for his club in the first leg, scoring a brace that took his goalscoring tally for the season to 19.
That's the highest number of goals the Portuguese playmaker has scored since his first full season at United in 2020-21. In addition, he has provided 18 assists for his colleagues.
Fernandes is proving to be especially consistent in the Europa League, scoring six times in five games in the knockout rounds, including a home hat-trick against Real Sociedad in the round of 16.
Enforcer Ugarte turns provider
Another midfielder who is now delivering for United is Manuel Ugarte. Signed to shore up the leaky Red Devils, he is generally a good bet to be booked, collecting 14 yellow cards this season.
While that possibility should never be overlooked, I'm more interested in his attacking output, which has gone up a notch in recent games. He provided two assists in the first leg, having both scored and set up a goal in the quarter-final tie against Lyon.
Ugarte has also had an assist in each of United's two most recent Premier League matches. With five of his six assists this season coming in his last seven appearances, this growing trend looks majorly overpriced.
Manchester United vs Athletic Bilbao odds
All odds courtesy of BoyleSports. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
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