BILBAO // Manchester United were last night knocked out of European competition for the second time this season following another defeat against Athletic Bilbao.
The Basques added a 2-1 home victory to last week's 3-2 triumph at Old Trafford to progress to the last eight of the Europa League, while United's focus will switch back to retaining the Premier League, the only competition the club are left in, over rivals Manchester City.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side have been poor in Europe this season by their usual standards. The team which reached three of the last four Champions League finals has triumphed in only three of their 10 games and won just once at home.
Athletic's excellent season continues. As well as their Europa League exploits, they have reached the Copa del Rey final where they will face Barcelona.
They are also chasing a Champions League spot, with fatigue their greatest foe. Last night's game was their 11th in European competition alone this season.
Their team have given a buzz to Spain's fifth biggest city and Bilbao was in a state of high anticipation yesterday. Red and white Athletic flags fluttered from apartments, shops and public buildings, while everybody seem to be wearing red and white in the sun, from children playing in parks to pensioners walking the grand boulevards near San Mames.
Nowhere was the anticipation higher than in the old stadium which they call 'the cathedral'.
"Athletic! Athletic!" they hollered, almost 40,000 Basques outnumbering the visiting fans by 40-1.
They waved Basque flags and made a din as impressive as the one 8,000 of them made at Old Trafford last week when their side stunned United with a 3-2 victory in the thrilling first leg.
They did not need a repeat performance to go through - a draw would have sufficed, even a narrow defeat, hardly the tallest order for a side unbeaten in their last six European games.
Marcelo Bielsa's side were not complacent about their lead. Fernando Llorente set up his Spanish international teammate Iker Munian and the 19-year-old struck the post with a 14th-minute shot.
Llorente was at the centre of all that was brilliant about the Basques and put his side ahead with a 23rd-minute volley past compatriot David de Gea.
United were better than in the first leg, but their only response was a Ryan Giggs header on target in the 26th minute, though Tom Cleverley could have appealed for a penalty three minutes later after being tripped by Ander Herrera inside the area.
With a 4-2 advantage, a superior work rate and the buzz of a lead, the mood was so buoyant that it barely diminished when Llorente was substituted with an injury after 40 minutes.
The momentum stayed with the home side after the break.
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Andoni Iraola almost added a second on 53 minutes after beating three opponents, before the second did come after 65 minutes when Oscar de Marcos chested the ball down and his left-foot shot took a deflection past De Gea.
A late Wayne Rooney strike made it 2-1, but it was scant consolation. United had been beaten by a far superior team home and away and there was not a person in a delirious San Mames who thought otherwise.
sports@thenational.ae
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
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Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
