The first-leg match takes place at Sam Mames on Thursday night, and Nico is confident that the home crowd will be behind his team from the start.

"We're expecting a very competitive game," Nico said. "We're excited to have the fans cheering us on, which will give us a good boost to start the game strongly."

Nico acknowledges that Manchester United is a strong team with talented players, including Bruno Fernandes.

"We'll need to give our best effort to win the match," Nico said. "The whole team, the city, and the Athletic community are all eager to perform well."

Nico also talked about the team's strategy, saying they've been happy to fly under the radar this season.

His brother Inaki previously mentioned that the team has been playing under the radar, and Nico agrees that they need to stay focused on their goal.

"We're going to give it our all to reach the final," Nico said. "We're proud of our unique identity as a club, with a history of never being relegated and a commitment to using local players."