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Manchester United stand on the brink of a Europa League final , holding an unexpected 3-0 lead over Athletic Bilbao as they head into the second leg on Thursday at Old Trafford. A spot in the Champions League next season, worth an estimated $88 million to $126 million, hangs in the balance. For a club languishing in 15th in the Premier League, this is their only shot at European glory.
Is This The Richest Game in Soccer?
The first leg in Bilbao was a masterclass from United , with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice after Casemiro headed home the opener. Athletic’s hopes crumbled after Dani Vivian’s red card left them with ten men, unable to counter United’s clinical attack. Fans at San Mamés, dreaming of a home final, were left more than stunned.
The financial stakes are massive, as big as they get in soccer? Champions League qualification could bring $88 million in matchday, broadcasting, and prize money, plus avoid a $13 million Adidas contract penalty for not qualifying for the Champions League. United’s budget, strained by a dismal domestic campaign, desperately needs this boost.
Related: Manchester United’s Worst Season Ever Exposes Old Trafford Mismanagement - Athlon Sports
Athletic Bilbao, fourth in La Liga, won’t roll over. Despite resting key players in a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad, their seven-game away winless streak in the league suggests an uphill battle. Nico Williams remains their dangerman, but overturning a three-goal deficit at Old Trafford is a tall order.
United’s Ruben Amorim has downplayed the tie’s ability to “save” their season, calling it a “shortcut” to Europe. Still, the return of Amad Diallo and Matthijs de Ligt from injury bolsters their squad. Harry Maguire’s unlikely wing play in Bilbao hints at more surprises to come.
The Red Devils’ Europa League form has been a stark contrast to their Premier League woes. They’ve scored 31 goals in 13 matches, never failing to find the net. A final against Tottenham, who lead Bodo 3-1, looms as a tantalizing prospect.
Expect The Old Trafford Atmosphere To Be Electric
Bilbao’s fans, heartbroken after the first leg, still cling to faint hopes of a miracle. Ernesto Valverde’s side must channel their 2012 upset over United, when they won 5-3 on aggregate. History, though, favors United: no team has overturned a three-goal away deficit in Europa League knockout ties.
Old Trafford will be electric, with fans sensing a return to Europe’s elite. Amorim’s young squad, guided by veterans like Casemiro, faces immense pressure to deliver. A slip-up seems unlikely, but football loves a twist.
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Browns quarterback race has now dramatically changed
The Cleveland Browns are a step closer to finding their starting quarterback for the upcoming season. The Browns had a four-way race for the QB1 job entering training camp. Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were long-shot contenders for the gig. The real competition has been between Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. However, the race has dramatically changed following Pickett's hamstring injury. Per Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Flacco is now the "strong favorite" to win the starting job, as the veteran has taken advantage of his reps while Pickett remains limited at practice. "Pickett said he’s working '24-7' to get back to full speed but acknowledged he’s losing ground," Jackson wrote. "Joe Flacco’s two best throwing days have been the two most recent days, Friday and Saturday. Neither of the rookies ever had much of a realistic chance to win the starting job this August, and over the last week, Flacco has gone from presumed favorite to strong favorite. What always mattered most was finding the No. 1 — even if that status was going to be in flux at some point — and letting the folks in charge evaluate and decide on the rest of the depth chart and the room. There’s a lot of camp left, and there’s obviously a lot still to be settled with Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders. Flacco's resurgence in 2023, when he won NFL Comeback Player of the Year, was the main reason the Browns made the playoffs that season. His familiarity with Cleveland and head coach Kevin Stefanski makes him the natural choice to start Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, even if Pickett wasn't sidelined for team drills.
Bills GM says James Cook decision was 'disappointing'
On Monday, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane responded to James Cook's decision not to practice with the team on Sunday. Cook, who had been practicing with the Bills through training camp until that point amid contract negotiations, told ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg that he made a "business" decision not to practice with his teammates. During an appearance on WGR 550, Beane said the team did not know of Cook's plan until right before practice. He was disappointed that the situation deteriorated to a point where the star running back felt the need to miss a practice. "There's been constant communication between the two sides....at the end of the day I wish we weren't here," Beane said, via WGR's Sal Capaccio. "This is my ninth season and have never had a player miss practice due too a contract, so it's disappointing for me." Beane doesn't believe Cook's negotiations will cause a distraction in the locker room unless players "let it become" a distraction. The negotiations between the Bills and Cook could continue past training camp. "We'd love to keep him, but I have to make sure it all fits under an umbrella, not in a silo... If we don't get something done now it doesn't mean we can't before (Cook) becomes a free agent," Beane said. Cook is looking for a $15 million per year deal after earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance and earning the NFL rushing touchdowns co-leader (tied with Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs with 16) in 2024. Beane said he isn't taking a hard line on not paying Cook because he's a running back, saying the Bills want to sign him at the "sweet spot." The Bills need the "sweet spot" to come sooner rather than later. It's common for teams to deal with sit-outs and holdouts during the preseason. What Buffalo doesn't want is a distraction during the regular season or postseason, and that could be where this is headed.
Illegal tackle causes Colts RB to suffer 'severe leg injury'
The Indianapolis Colts had a scary moment on Sunday when a running back went down during an 11-on-11 team period. Per James Boyd of The Athletic, practice had to be stopped for 10 minutes while trainers attended to running back Salvon Ahmed, who suffered a "severe leg injury" after he was brought down via an illegal tackle by safety Trey Washington. "The injury occurred when Ahmed broke a long run during an 11-on-11 period," Boyd wrote. "He was tackled from behind by undrafted rookie safety Trey Washington, but when Washington grabbed Ahmed, who kept his legs churning, Washington used a hip-drop tackle to bring Ahmed down and landed on his lower right leg. Ahmed immediately grabbed his lower right leg and screamed in agony. "Steichen said the players in the developmental periods (essentially third-stringers and players lower than them on the depth chart) were instructed to tackle during 11-on-11. However, Steichen emphasized, Washington’s hip-drop tackle was obviously the wrong way to bring Ahmed down." Steichen said the coaching staff doesn't encourage hip-drop tackles, and claimed Washington is "down in the dumps" after his tackle led to Ahmed's injury. The unfortunate incident highlights how difficult it can be for NFL defenders to make a tackle. The league made the hip-drop tackle illegal to try and curb injuries, as offensive players thought it was a dirty hit. In Washington's case, the undrafted rookie free agent from Ole Miss wasn't trying to make a dirty hit but trying to make a football move in a competitive environment to keep his job. Before the injury, Ahmed was trying to make a case for the practice squad, where he spent time on during 2024.
NASCAR road course ace to pilot No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy in Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen
One of the best road course racers in NASCAR has been tapped to drive the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet at Watkins Glen on Aug. 9. On Monday, it was reported that Michael McDowell, the 2023 Indianapolis road course winner and 2021 Daytona 500 champion will pilot the No. 11 Kaulig Chevy in the wake of Josh Williams' dismissal from the organization. McDowell, a 40-year-old driver from Phoenix, Ariz., has finished top-10 in two of the last three Cup Series races at Watkins Glen. While he is a veteran of 94 Xfinity Series starts, he hasn't raced in the series since 2016, when he earned his lone Xfinity Series win at Road America. Over a NASCAR career that spans nearly two decades, McDowell has also made 524 Cup Series starts, four Craftsman Truck Series starts and 28 ARCA Menards Series starts. McDowell will hop behind the wheel of the No. 11 one week after his Spire Motorsports teammate, Carson Hocevar, drove the car in the Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway. No further replacement drivers for the No. 11 have been announced. Practice and qualifying for the Mission 200 at the Glen will take place on the morning of Aug. 9, with the green flag flying shortly after 3 p.m. ET. Coverage of the race will be provided by the CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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