Manchester United vs. Athletic Bilbao: The 5 Best Players

Athletic Bilbao came to Old Trafford and comprehensively thumped Manchester United. The final 3-2 margin was exceedingly kind to the sleepwalking Red Devils. More possession, more shots, more goals.  That was the formula that Bilbao's irrepressible energy allowed the visitors to implement.

The tie isn't over by a long shot. But with three away goals, Bilbao will believe in its chances going back to Spain's Basque region for the return leg.

Here are the five best players from the Europa League tie.

No. 5: Wayne Rooney

On the game, Wayne Rooney was horrible. He hardly got on the ball during the first half and when he did, he usually gave it away.

But by the final whistle, he had two goals to his credit. An awful game and two goals gets you in the top five—even when your inclusion leaves a slightly bad taste in the mouth.

No. 4: Markel Susaeta

Markel Susaeta tormented the left side of United's defense all night. When Patrice Evra's head hits the pillow at night, it will be the streaking image of Susaeta that wakes him in a cold sweat.

In the 33rd minute, a bit more accuracy as he tried to lift the ball over Manchester United keeper David de Gea on a breakaway and Susaeta would have opened the scoring.

He made up for that miss as the first half wound down. On the run down the right side, he received the ball and put in a cross that found the head of Fernando Llorente to open the scoring.

No. 3: Fernando Llorente

In a freewheeling Bilbao attack, Fernando Llorente was the steadying force. His strength on the ball (especially with his back to goal) allowed the rest of his teammates to flood into forward positions where Llorente invariably found them.

His holding play provided a service to his team and they repaid it by looking for his head in the area. He finished his best chance and De Gea took at least one other goal away.

Llorente's dominance in the air was matched by his dominance in possession. For this night at Old Trafford, there was no United defender who could equal his strength or his will.

No. 2: David de Gea

Goalkeeper David de Gea is the one Manchester United player who can walk away from this game with his head held high. He made half a dozen highlight-worthy saves and his defenders gave him no chance on the three goals.

He faced 22 shots, eight corners and a defense that seemed to intentionally open lanes to goal for Bilbao's willing attackers.

He accumulated nine total saves, including several in a first half that could very easily have seen United out of the tie before it had really begun.

No. 1: Iker Muniain

Against Manchester United, 19-year-old Iker Muniain was far and away the best player on the field for either side.

He spent the first half embarrassing every United player he encountered down the left side. His best chance to score came in the 68th minute when a give-and-go with Susaeta put him free in on goal. De Gea's save on the point-blank effort kept the little winger off the score sheet, but it was really just a matter of time.

In the 90th minute, Muniain made one final 50-yard sprint to reach a rebound just ahead of De Gea and get the goal his performance so richly merited. The best player on the night getting what would prove to be the winner for the best team on the night. Poetic.