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Taking a closer look at that United team, I’m not surprised it’s unchanged. They might’ve played Luke Shaw at left-centre-back and sent Yoro over to the right – that’s probably a better option than the one they’ve gone for, in Victor Lindelof – but Amorim is, as you would, easing Shaw back in slowly. If they make the final he’s still fit, having played the games in between, the manager has a decision to make.

Also going on:

• Manchester United lead 3-0 in Europa League semi-final
• Athletic missing Williams brothers and top scorer Sancet

Ruben Amorim admits Manchester United “can lose their minds” during games so is unsure how they will perform in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao, despite holding a 3-0 lead.

United are favourites to reach the final on 21 May at the San Mamés after their victory there last week thanks to Casemiro’s header and two goals from Bruno Fernandes. In the previous round’s return leg at Old Trafford they allowed a 2-0 advantage over Lyon to become a 4-2 deficit before scoring three goals in the final seven minutes of extra time to secure passage to the last four. United also led Lyon 2-1 in the first leg but conceded a 95th-minute Rayan Cherki equaliser.

From flop in Manchester to prince of Seville, flying winger is rivalling his new best friend for title of La Liga’s finest player

Antony Matheus dos Santos has played football with some bad men. Raised in Inferninho (Little Hell), a favela outside São Paulo, the way the Real Betis winger tells it, he grew up without shoes to play in or a bed of his own to sleep in, surrounded by drugs and guns. Some days he wouldn’t eat and one day, when he was six or seven, he had to jump over a dead body to get to school. Life was just the way it was, even on the rough concrete courts where his bleeding feet moved faster than the rest. “I played against traffickers and all sorts,” he said. “If you ask if I was scared, of course I was. But I always had a strong personality and the harder it was, the more I wanted to be there.”

So when someone threatened to kidnap him a week ago, Antony just laughed – and so did everyone else. This wasn’t São Paulo, this was Seville. And, like a lot of what is said there, it was just a joke, even if there were true words said in jest, born of fondness and admiration, a kind of desperation too, a disbelief that he is here with them and a determination to keep it that way. There was no anonymous letter this time, no ransom note cut from newspaper letters; instead, there was a message on Isco’s Instagram. “Antonio of Triana,” it read, “we’re going to kidnap you: this is your first warning.” A few days later, the second came. “If I have to provide the car to kidnap him, I will,” said former Betis player Joaquín. “However it happens, he has to stay.”

• United beaten 4-3 in 16th loss of league season
• ‘As a club we need to understand our responsibility’

Ruben Amorim kept his focus firmly on the Europa League despite Manchester United losing their 16th Premier League match of the season in being beaten 4-3 by Brentford.

“I think it’s stressful to lose games – when we’re fighting for a title it’s not stressful,” Amorim said in reference to United’s midweek need to defend their 3-0 lead against Athletic Club to reach the Europa League final. He made eight changes here, for the third youngest Premier League starting XI on record.

While Manchester United were celebrating Europa League glory in Bilbao on Thursday, Brentford’s defeat of Nottingham Forest in midweek had already confirmed the 20-times champions would finish the season in the bottom half for the first time since 1989-1990. Defeat at the Gtech made it 16 league losses for United, matching the loss count from 1989-1990. Not even a late – far too late – comeback in west London protected their modesty.

Brentford beat a yet more underpowered United selection than is normal, even for this season of historic mediocrity. A deserved home victory was secured via a fine headed double from Kevin Schade and Yoane Wissa’s tap-in following a first goal gifted by the comically lax defending that has been a regular feature of United’s season.

• United won first leg 3-0 against Athletic Bilbao
• Senior players ‘need to handle these moments’

Harry Maguire has urged Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Manchester United’s other senior players to “step up” and ensure the team seal a Europa League final berth in Thursday’s semi-final second leg at Old Trafford after their 3-0 dismantling of Athletic Bilbao.

A Casemiro header and two Bruno Fernandes goals at San Mamés make United firm favourites to return to the stadium for the final, potentially against Tottenham, who are 3-1 up against Bodø/Glimt. Maguire was asked what the greatest threat was to United’s progress.

Manchester United beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at San Mamés on Thursday night after a goal from Casemiro and two from Bruno Fernandes. Speaking after the game their manager, Ruben Amorim, said: "I think it is the best result because nobody expected this result.” He added that it was “hard to explain” the differences in performances between the Premier League, where Manchester United are 14th, and the Europa League, in which Amorim's side are one leg away from the final.

• Ruben Amorim says Athletic Bilbao win is ‘best result’ of his time in charge so far

One of the most photographed men in the world, he has gone from captain of the England football team to elder statesman. We look back at the red cards, redemption, scandals, fashion and family life

It’s swings and roundabouts being a titchy kid in football. David Beckham first played for Chingford-based youth team the Ridgeway Rovers, where he was coached by his dad, Ted. Back then, he didn’t make the England schoolboys squad because he wasn’t burly enough – his father subsequently employing the somewhat nauseating tactic of feeding his son Guinness with raw eggs to gain weight. On the other hand, it did mean he could be a match mascot at Manchester United, his dad’s passion, at the age of 11, because he was still so cute and shrimpy.

• Manchester United head coach: ‘Nobody expected this’
• Harry Maguire’s form is a good lesson, says Amorim

Ruben Amorim described Manchester United’s 3-0 win at San Mamés as the best result secured during his time in charge of the club but warned his players that their passage into the final of the Europa League is still not secure.

The Portuguese coach said that proof of that was provided by the opening spell in which they had been under pressure and urged his players to focus on that. Asked if that was United’s best performance since taking charge in November, the head coach said: “No, I think it is the best result because nobody expected this result.”

Manchester City will be wary of Wolves, Graham Potter needs a derby win and Roméo Lavia is vital to Chelsea

Six straight wins in a run of seven unbeaten has lifted Wolves to 13th. Now Vítor Pereira’s side pose a problem that Manchester City must solve as the latter chase maximum points from their last four games in the race for Champions League qualification. Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in the last eight in all competitions and buoyed by last Sunday’s reaching of a third successive FA Cup final, so this should be a close one. Keep an eye out for Guardiola potentially having a complimentary word with Matheus Cunha, as is his habit when coming up against a high-class opposition player. Jamie Jackson

Manchester City v Wolves, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Aston Villa v Fulham, Saturday 12.30pm

Everton v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm

Leicester City v Southampton, Saturday 3pm

Arsenal v Bournemouth, Saturday 5.30pm

Brentford v Manchester United, Sunday 2pm

Ever hear about a fantastical yarn featuring Manchester United being down in 14th place in the Premier League yet somehow standing proud at 3-0 up a mere quarter-way through a major European semi-final, a 10-man Athletic Bilbao who already appeared cooked?

Before kick-off here the answer would be no – of course. But, by half-time, Ruben Amorim’s men were flying, and if Noussair Mazraoui’s left-foot rocket had beaten Julen Agirrezabala, rather than ricocheted back off his crossbar, United’s lead would have been 4-0, and this tie clinically dead.

Manchester United have one foot in the final after a commanding display against 10-man Bilbao

3 min: … but nothing comes of it, Ruiz De Galarreta attempting a shot from distance that bounces apologetically through to Onana.

2 min: Bilbao on the front foot quickly. Nico Williams makes good down the left and looks for his brother Inaki at the far stick. Dorgu is forced to turn it behind for the first corner of the game.

Manchester United enjoyed their night in Bilbao so much that they will surely be coming back. They remain the only unbeaten team among the more than 100 that have played this competition over eight long months, and even if they do fall to a first in seven days’ time, the margin of this victory means they should still be there on its final game in this same arena, the season given meaning and potentially a triumphant end, the Europa League their elixir and their escape once again.

They came to the stadium everyone calls the Cathedral and defeated Athletic Bilbao so convincingly that the second leg carries little threat. No one had won here this year in Europe and Athletic had conceded just 10 times in all competitions; United scored three in a quarter of an hour, an opening goal from Casemiro and two from Bruno Fernandes ending this before half-time. All the more so because the second came from the spot, accompanied by a red card for Dani Vivian, infuriating the home supporters and virtually ensuring that they will not play the final they host on 21 May.

All the facts and figures as Tottenham host Bodø/Glimt and Manchester United travel to Athletic Bilbao

By WhoScored

Manchester United travel to the Basque Country for the second time this season. They can expect a tougher test in the semi-finals than they had against Real Sociedad in the last 16. United won that tie 5-2 on aggregate, Bruno Fernandes scoring a fine hat-trick at Old Trafford in one of their best performances of the season. In a season of many lows, the Europa League has given United some solace – and an opportunity to qualify for Europe next season.

• Manager says addressing wider problems matters more
• Amorim confident United ‘are prepared’ for Athletic tie

Ruben Amorim has said even winning the Europa League will not save Manchester United’s season, the head coach stating that only “good decisions” can transform his side in the long term.

United are at Athletic Bilbao for Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg, conscious that claiming the competition will conclude a troubled campaign with silverware and Champions League qualification. With United in 14th and certain to finish in their lowest position in the Premier League, it would also give Amorim a trophy after taking over in late October. However, the Portuguese is clear it would not make the campaign a success.

• He will not serve ban and can face Arsenal on Saturday
• Iraola said striker slipped when challenging Mazraoui

Evanilson is available for Bournemouth’s Premier League game at Arsenal on Saturday after having a three-match ban overturned for his red card against Manchester United.

The Brazilian striker was dismissed in the 70th minute of Sunday’s 1-1 draw after a challenge on Noussair Mazraoui, following a recommendation by the video assistant referee, John Brooks, for Peter Bankes to review the initial yellow card. Evanilson’s suspension was removed after a successful claim of wrongful dismissal by Bournemouth.

• Manchester United loanee suffered hamstring injury
• Villa object to Spurs’ request to change date of league game

Marcus Rashford is expected to miss the rest of Aston Villa’s season because of the hamstring injury that forced him out of their FA Cup semi-final defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday. The on-loan England forward will have a scan but is not thought to require surgery.

There is a slim possibility Rashford, whose injury rehabilitation will take place at Villa, could return to face Tottenham on 18 May, but he is ineligible for their final game of the season against Manchester United, his parent club.

Manchester United rallied to grab a point through Rasmus Højlund and dent their 10-man hosts’ European hopes

The teams walk out into the sunshine. Bournemouth are in their Stendhal stripes, United in all-white, like a poor man’s Real Madrid.

As United go into their huddle, Luke Shaw seems to be giving the pep talk, which is a nice touch. Shaw is at left centre-back, so the wing-backs are Mazraoui and Dorgu. Amorim does like to have three full-backs on the field at all times.

Better days must lie ahead for Manchester United. Otherwise, things have gone truly pear-shaped. A Sunday where their fans lived vicariously through hopes of Tottenham delaying Liverpool’s title celebrations and Nottingham Forest stopping City winning another FA Cup counts as a ground-zero level ebb, even considering United’s decline and fall. Rescuing a point from 10-man Bournemouth might have arrested some of the helpless, listless doom but probably not for too long.

Perhaps United’s team spirit, that which carried them past Lyon in the Europa League, is evidencing itself, though far more than that is required. As with Lyon, it took an opposing red card - Evanilson, a tad unluckily - to add momentum to a muddle.

• Striker left Manchester United for Aston Villa in January
• ‘We can hurt the squad now … in the future it will help’

Ruben Amorim has no regrets over loaning Marcus Rashford to Aston Villa in January since the head coach believes the long-term outcome for Manchester United is more vital than losing up to “10 goals” this season.

After Amorim exiled Rashford over his attitude in training in December, the 27-year-old moved to Villa the following month, with Antony also making a temporary move to Real Betis.