United seek to finish off Bilbao in chase for Europa glory

Manchester United are preparing for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao knowing only a calamity will prevent a likely showdown with Tottenham later this month.

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Ruben Amorim's men came away from the first leg in northern Spain last week with one foot firmly in the final, also in Bilbao, after an impressive 3-0 win.

It was an extraordinary result in a season of ceaseless turmoil at United and the club reverted to type on Sunday, crashing to their 16th Premier League loss of a miserable season at Brentford.

United have now suffered their highest number of league defeats in a campaign for 35 years.

They are 15th in the Premier League-on course for their worst finish since they were relegated in 1974, though this time they are safe from the drop.

Amorim has made no secret of his priorities for the rest of the season, making eight changes to his starting team at Brentford, naming the third-youngest side in Premier League history.

"We are losing games in the Premier League, we are fighting for the Europa League, so we need to accept that and to think about Thursday as the most important game for us," said the Portuguese boss.

"Thursday is the most important game. The end of this season is very important."