Man Utd and Spurs set up Europa League showdown with dominant semi-final wins

The Red Devils sealed a 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford to wrap up a dominant 7-1 aggregate win and seal their place in the final against Spurs, who beat Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in Norway for a 5-1 aggregate win in Thursday night's other semi-final.

United began the night with a three-goal cushion from the first leg, but nerves ran high in Manchester as errors crept in and the visitors took a 1-0 lead.

Mount, who has struggled with injuries since his move from Chelsea, had been on the pitch just 10 minutes when he latched onto Leny Yoro's short pass and fired a precise shot into the far corner to level the scores. It was only his third goal for United, but the timing was crucial.

The England midfielder wasn't done. After Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund extended United's lead, Mount sealed the result with a spectacular second, floating a long-range effort into an empty net.

Despite a strong performance from Bilbao, who led at half-time through Mikel Jauregizar's stunning 30-yard strike, the Spanish side faded badly in the final 20 minutes.

Looking ahead to the final, United boss Ruben Amorim was asked about his side's poor record against Tottenham this season, which has seen them suffer three straight defeats against the Londoners.

"If you think in the odds it's hard for the club to lose four times in a row," Amorim said. "We can think that way."

Meanwhile, Tottenham booked their place in the final with a composed performance in Norway, easing past Bodo/Glimt 2-0.

Goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro in the second half confirmed Spurs' first European final appearance since the 2019 Champions League and kept hopes alive of ending a 41-year wait for continental silverware.

Despite being without key players like James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, and Heung-min Son, Ange Postecoglou's side expertly managed the second leg after taking a 3-1 lead into the tie.

They kept the energetic hosts at bay until Solanke extended the lead after 63 minutes, finishing from close range following a Cristian Romero knockdown, before Porro's cross found the net via the post just six minutes later. Bodo/Glimt, playing in their first European semi-final, saw a late penalty overturned by VAR, ending any faint hopes of a comeback.

Like Amorim, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has faced a lot of criticism for Spurs' poor form of late but he was in defiant mood after Thursday's result.

"It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it," Postecoglou said. "The debate's now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy.

"I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league? It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form.

"I couldn't care less who's struggling and who's not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there."

The Europa League final between United and Spurs will take place in Bilbao in 21 May. 

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