Manchester United are set to face Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semi-final.
The first leg will be played in Spain on Thursday evening, while the reverse fixture is scheduled to take place at Old Trafford the following week.
Read on as we look at three Athletic players who could haunt Man United’s chances of advancing to the final.
Nico Williams
The left winger is the Spanish side’s most dangerous forward. His pace, flair and directness make him difficult for opposition defences to handle.
He has averaged 3.6 successful dribbles per game, the most in the competition this season. He also has seven goal involvements, which is the most of any Athletic player.
The 22-year-old’s home form has been superb. He has bagged 11 goals across all competitions – only one has been scored away from home.
Inaki Williams
The 30-year-old is not as electric as his younger brother Nico, but he is equally lethal in the final third.
He netted the only goal for Athletic’s 1-0 victory over Las Palmas last week. He has registered 11 goals across all contributions this season, five of which have been scored in the Europa League.
Williams ranks joint-first for goals scored, first for big chances created, joint-second for key passes and third for successful dribbles per game for Ernesto Valverde’s side.
Yuri Berchiche
The veteran left-back has been outstanding for the Basque side this term, contributing one goal and three assists across all competitions.
Among left-backs in this competition this season, the Spaniard ranks first for shots, shots on target and accurate long balls per game. He is also third for key passes per game.
The 35-year-old also works hard defensively. He has averaged 6.78 recoveries per game and has won 61 per cent of his duels in the Europa League this season.
Stats from sofascore.com & fotmob.com.
