Athletic Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams has criticised the officiating during his side’s demoralising 3–0 home defeat to Manchester United, while expressing confidence that the La Liga outfit are capable of mounting a dramatic comeback in the second leg at Old Trafford.

The raucous atmosphere at San Mamés, fuelled by hopes of reaching the Europa League final later this month, was quickly subdued as the Red Devils struck three unanswered goals within the first 45 minutes.

Veteran midfielder Casemiro, often criticised in recent months, nodded in the opener before two strikes from Bruno Fernandes placed the Premier League side firmly in control of the tie.

However, controversy arose surrounding United’s second goal, awarded via a penalty after Rasmus Højlund was pulled back by Dani Vivian. The Bilbao defender was shown a red card following a VAR review, though Athletic players argued there had been a handball by Alejandro Garnacho in the build-up.

In the aftermath of the defeat, Williams insisted that Athletic still have what it takes to overturn the deficit, while both he and manager Ernesto Valverde questioned the referee’s handling of the contentious decision.

“We protested a handball by Garnacho. I believe the ball struck his hand… but the referee decided to give a penalty and showed a red card to Vivian,” Valverde said.

Williams added: “We’re capable of coming back. There were certain incidents that raise doubts. The play leading to the penalty involved a handball by Garnacho, which the referee failed to spot.

“It was a tussle between Vivian and him. At the slightest contact, he went down. It’s unfortunate the referee awarded it.”

The highly sought-after forward acknowledged that Bilbao were not at their best on the night, yet he remained upbeat about their chances, referencing United’s earlier difficulties against Lyon in the previous round.

“We weren’t very sharp—there’s no point making excuses,” he continued. “We’re 3–0 down, but we’re capable of overcoming that. We’ve already seen that Lyon caused them problems at home, and we’ll aim to do the same.

“The work we’ve done all season speaks for itself. We’re now in the final stretch of achieving our dream. Our supporters have always stood by us, and we’re going to give it everything.”