Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have taken large leaps in direction of European finals with their respective Thursday night time wins.
Essentially the most spectacular efficiency got here from United, selecting up a 3-0 Europa League semi-final first leg victory away at Athletic Bilbao.
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Casemiro headed them in entrance with half-hour performed earlier than Dani Vivian was despatched off for the hosts after pulling again Rasmus Hojlund.
Bruno Fernandes scored the following penalty and added a 3rd simply earlier than half-time so as to add additional distress onto Bilbao.
In doing so, he now has seven objectives within the Europa League this time period – essentially the most ever by a United participant in a single version of the match.
In the meantime, he’s additionally the primary individual in Europa League historical past to be instantly concerned in not less than 30 objectives within the knockout rounds having scored 19 and chipped in with 12 assists.
Such was United’s domination, they inflicted Bilbao’s joint-heaviest residence defeat in any European competitors.
Extremely for United, they now boast extra wins in Europe’s secondary competitors [seven] beneath Ruben Amorim than they’ve within the Premier League [six].
United will now take their combination benefit again to Previous Trafford and seem to have already got one foot within the closing.
Within the different semi-final conflict, Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 to additionally acquire a wholesome benefit within the closing 4.
Brennan Johnson opened the scoring for Spurs with solely 38 seconds performed having headed in while unmarked on the again put up.
Their second of the night time got here from James Maddison, with Dominic Solanke additionally discovering the again of the web with a second half penalty.
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Bodo restored some religion within the closing ten minutes because of a deflected end from Ulrik Saltnes.
However Spurs held on for what was a snug victory – stretching their unbeaten residence run to twenty matches in Europe – together with qualifiers.
It is the longest ongoing unbeaten residence run from any English aspect who’ve featured in Europe this time period.
Spurs, whose Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has extra capability than the inhabitants of Bodo, make their away journey subsequent Thursday.
Because it stands, the Premier League rivals will meet within the Europa League closing on Could 21 in Bilbao, Spain.
It could be the primary all-English closing within the competitors since Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 in 2019.
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Elsewhere, Chelsea continued their glorious debut Europa Convention League marketing campaign by thrashing Djurgarden 4-1 of their semi-final first leg.
Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke put them two objectives up earlier than the break, with substitute Nicolas Jackson including one other double.
Djurgarden scored a comfort aim moments later within the 68th minute when Isak Alemayehu headed in for the Swedish aspect.
However they failed so as to add to their tally on what was their first European semi-final look.
Whereas it was Jackson that scored twice, Enzo Fernandez but once more starred for the Blues.
The 2022 World Cup winner offered two assists – his fourth in his final three matches.
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No Chelsea participant boasts greater than his 12 assists in all competitions this marketing campaign, with Fernandes being the one Premier League midfielder to supply extra [15].
Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge subsequent Thursday for the second leg – firmly answerable for the tie.
And so they look set to play both Actual Betis or Fiorentina within the closing in Wroclaw, Poland on Could 28.
It’s Betis who maintain a slender benefit going into their second leg havin received 2-1 on the Benito Villamarin.
However they know they’re up in opposition to a aspect who’ve reached the final two Convention League finals, the place they’ve misplaced to West Ham and Olympiacos within the earlier two years.