Why Manchester United are sticking to their pre-match plan for Europa League final

A Manchester United fan, clad in the 1992-94 green and gold away shirt, jauntily strode through Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Monday morning. He was undeterred by the first souvenir shop beyond security, teeming with 'Champions 2025' merchandise.

The dynamic pricing forced United supporters and us journalists to scan for flights away from Manchester Airport on SkyScanner. John Lennon Airport has only one terminal and, being down the East Lancs Road, is a reasonable compromise.

At departure gate D88 at Palma de Mallorca Airport, the Bilbao-bound United fans were not as rare. Someone had a bucket hat on and another wore his scarf. Neither attire was appropriate for the torrential rain in the Basque Country.

Some attending Wednesday's match are staying in Bilbao, San Sebastian, Santander and Vitoria. Uefa have picked a superb city and super stadium in Bilbao but it does not have the infrastructure to cope with an influx of English football fans.

Athletic Bilbao fans bill San Mames as "the cathedral of football" and a banner bearing those words greets the arrivals at Bilbao Airport. On my travels through Spain - this is my 12th visit to the country to watch United - Bilbao is its most football-centric city.

Matchday for the semi-final first leg was akin to a host nation during a major tournament, only more fervent. It was a public holiday in Spain, kids were kicking balls in the streets and you had not seen so many replica shirts.

Some may feel it is a travesty that Athletic have been denied a final in their own city. Yes, United are 16th and, domestically, have not been this bad since the year The Godfather Part 2 was released. Yet they did vanquish Athletic 7-1 on aggregate. They have earned their one-shot at salvation.