Bilbao (Reuters)
Athletic Bilbao qualified for the semi-finals of the European Football League, after his 2-0 victory over his guest Rangers in the second leg of the quarter-finals, to win the same result in the total of the two matches, and maintain his dream of reaching the final at its stadium in Saint Mames, and the team hit a date with Manchester United in the “gold box”.
After the two teams tied negatively at the Iberox Stadium in the first leg, the beginning of the return match was fast and intense, as Rangers seemed not afraid of the noisy atmosphere in Saint Mames, in the presence of a record audience of 52,114 spectators.
Bilbao had an early opportunity, but the amazing launch of Nicholas Williams from the wing ended with the goalkeeper Liam Kelly, and James Tafarnier removed the Wawan Sansit counterattack.
The Rangers striker Cyril Desers called for a penalty in vain, after his shirt was pulled inside the penalty area, and his rupture shirt was a sign of fusion, and he received a warning shortly after that he complained when he was forced to change his shirt.
Marwan Senadi was mistaken to pay the ball from the edge of the six Yardat area, while Bilbao began controlling, but he lacked accuracy upon reaching the Rangers penalty area.
Alex Berenger launched a shot that passed near the post a little and then Sansit took the ball to his chest, before he fired it over the crossbar from the close distance, but the Bilbao midfielder quickly broke the stalemate.
John Sotar was punished for making a mistake against Senadi inside the penalty area, and Sansit recorded the penalty kick in stoppage time from the first half before the break,
The Rangers goalkeeper Kelly had tackled a penalty kick by Peringer in the first leg, but the ball went in the wrong direction this time.
“In the first half, we were just a shadow for ourselves, we allowed the situation to affect us,” TV, Commander of Rangers, told TNT Sports.
The second half began with Bilbao’s endeavor to score the second goal, but Rangers was the closest to scoring, when Nicholas Raskin hit a ball that bounced from the post from a close distance.
Rangers increased, putting the owners of the land under much greater pressure, which they managed to deal with in the first half, but the Scottish team was unable to score the equalizer, and was punished 10 minutes before the end of the original time.
Oscar de Marcos sent a cross pass inside the penalty area, Williams got rid of his sergeant at the distant post to turn his head in Kelly’s goal, and the last minutes passed in a festive atmosphere in light of the joy of fans in red and white in the stands.
“San Mames deserves this more than anywhere, and again we are approaching the final,” Williams told Movestar Plus.
He added, “Rangers has made things very difficult for us, and we are very happy to qualify us to the semi -finals, to be calm and continue the journey,” he added.
Bilbao, who has finished fasting for 40 years by winning the King’s Cup last season, is looking forward to winning his first European title and facing Manchester United, who won 7-6 against Olympique Lyon in the two games group, in the semi-finals.
