Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof has sent a message to Harry Maguire after their 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday (May 1). The two teams locked horns in the first leg of the Europa League semifinal at the San Mames.
The Red Devils arrived at the game on the back of a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in the Premier League and are currently 14th in the league table, with four games left to play. United’s focus, as such, is very much on Europe, as a Europa League triumph can open the door to next season’s Champions League.
Manchester United reached the semifinals after a stunning 5-4 win over Lyon in the quarterfinal second leg (7-6 on aggregate), courtesy of a late Harry Maguire winner (120+1′). The English defender turned provider on Thursday.
Taking the ball on the right wing, Maguire turned Mikel Jauregizar inside out before delivering a peach of a ball into the box. Manuel Ugarte headed it onto the far post where Casemiro was lurking. The Brazilian gave his team the lead in the 30th minute.
The Red Devils won a penalty next, after intervention from VAR, following Dani Vivian’s foul on Rasmus Hojlund. The Spaniard was shown his marching orders, and Bruno Fernandes made no mistake from the spot (37′).
The Portuguese skipper then ran on to a subtle flick from Ugarte to make it 3-0 at the stroke of half-time. Manchester United held on to secure a big advantage ahead of the return leg at Old Trafford on Thursday (May 8).
Following the game, Victor Lindelof shared a picture on Instagram of him hugging Harry Maguire, with the caption:
The Englishman responded in the comments, writing:
Manchester United next face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday (May 4) in the league.
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes has lavished praise on Harry Maguire following his efforts on Thursday. Speaking after the game, the Portuguese said no one expected such skills from the Englishman.
He continued:
Harry Maguire has 34 appearances across competitions this season for Manchester United, chipping in with four goals and one assist.
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