Manchester United may have moved from Bilbao with an advantage of 3-0 in the semi-finals in the Europa League semi-finals, but for Paul Scholes, there was still room for improvement.
United was excellent at the San Mames stadium, with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes both on the night target against the 10 men of the sports club to ensure a vital victory.
The Red Devils fully deserved their victory in the Basque country and will now have the impression of having made a huge stride towards securing a place in the last return to Bilbao in a few weeks.
In his post-match comments, Ruben Amorim stressed that his team would not get ahead of themselves, but Scholes also quickly stressed that it was still not perfect performance.
“I still think that the second half, they were sometimes a little sloppy,” said the former midfielder of England and Man United in the TNT Sports studio.
“I think they could have managed the game a little better, maybe go for the fourth and fifth goals.
The legend of the Paul Scholes club insisted that Manchester United could still have improved on Thursday
Man United was fully deserved his 3-0 victory against Athletic Club and took a huge step towards the completion of the final
Captain Bruno Fernandes was twice on the target in a first dominant half of visitors
“But when you play against 10 men, you do not give the other team a sniffing of the ball.”
He added: “I think if they had kept the ball better, another goal would have come. The only thing they didn’t want to concede a goal and it never seemed to happen.
Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in particular played for the Red Devils in a performance that was impressive despite the red card for the sports club, rather than because of that.
Visitors also had to face the crowd at home deeply partisan, which provided an exceptional atmosphere for neutral, but naturally intimidating for everything in the kit of red and white origin.
There is always the leg back to play Old Trafford, of course, and although Scholes estimated that there were areas to improve, he always felt united of their place in the final, although he admitted that everything could still happen.
“They should be (through),” he said. “You would be very confident that it happens.
“At 3-0, it should be finished, but it’s united with these days, we don’t really know what we are going to get. They were beaten at home 3-0 by a few teams this year.
“You always go by saying that it’s not over, but really from here, it should be finished and I think it’s the case.”
The return leg will be played at Old Trafford next Thursday, and with Tottenham also winning his first leg – 3-1 at home against Bodo / Glimt – There is the exciting prospect of an English final on the cards, for this important place in the next quarter of the Champions League.
