Do away goals count in Man United vs Athletic Bilbao Europa League tie Manchester United are hoping to secure a first leg advantage in their Europa League semi-final vs Athletic Bilbao on Thursday night Harry Maguire celebrates after Manchester United's thrilling victory over Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals (Image: Getty Images ) Manchester United's season comes down to the next seven days as they look to avoid a truly disappointing end to the campaign. United's Premier League season has been historically bad but their one solace has been their form in the Europa League. They remain unbeaten in the competition and are now just a two-legged semi-final away from advancing to the final at the San Mames Stadium. ‌ Standing in their way is Athletic Bilbao who will be hoping to progress to the final that will be held in their home arena. Ahead of tonight's tie in the Basque Country, MEN Sport has taken a closer look at the rules surrounding away goals and whether Ruben Amorim's side can grab an extra advantage this evening. ‌ Does the away goals rule count in the Europa League? Before 2021, UEFA implemented the away goals rule in their European knockout stages. This tie meant that the team who had scored more goals away from home over the two legs would advance if the game was level on aggregate after 90 minutes in the second leg. For example, if the first leg ended 0-0 and the second leg ended 1-1, the team who was away in the second leg would advance on away goals. UEFA chose to scrap this rule for the 2021/22 season and since then there has been no added advantage for scoring more goals away than your opposition. The change was made because it was felt that there was little to no incentive for the home team to attack in the first leg. Article continues below Manchester United are due to take on Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. (Image: Jose Breton/NurPhoto ) What happens if the tie is level after two legs? Should United and Athletic Bilbao be tied on aggregate at Old Trafford after 90 minutes, the tie will go to extra-time and ultimately penalties if both teams can still not be separated. When is the Europa League final? If United manage to advance to the final of the Europa League, they will return to the San Mames Stadium on Wednesday, May 21 for an 8pm kick-off. They will face the winner of Tottenham Hotspur vs Bodo/Glimt who face off in the other semi-final. ‌ --- Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. Article continues below You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.