Athletic Club took another huge step towards assuring direct qualification for the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Swedish side Elfsborg on Thursday.

Adama Boiro opened the scoring, with Benat Prados and Gorka Guruzeta also finding the net after a dominant display against a rival that rarely threatened.

The big news before kickoff was the return of Spain national team goalkeeper Unai Simon to the Athletic starting 11 after a wrist ligament operation following the UEFA European Championship.

Simon had a comfortable return to action and didn't have to make a save as Athletic dominated against a rival whose domestic competition has finished.

Boiro put Athletic ahead in the sixth minute with his first goal for the club as he produced a first-time finish into the corner of the net following Guruzeta's touch from a corner.

The home side was in complete control with Inaki and Nico Williams both shooting wide, before Nico then saw a curling effort palmed over by Elfsborg goalkeeper Isak Pettersson.

Pettersson was helpless in the 24th minute when Nico waltzed past two defenders for the onrushing Prados to head in the home side's second.

Athletic kept control of the game and after a storming run from Inaki at the start of the second half, Guruzeta made it 3-0.

Boiro controlled the ball with his chest, which helped him find acres of space, and he returned the favor from his opening goal with a low pass for Guruzeta to net with a left-foot finish.

Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde made a series of changes after the third goal with an eye on the weekend visit to play Rayo Vallecano, but his side went close to adding a fourth when Andoni Gorosabel saw his shot saved by Pettersson with Guruzeta's follow-up effort blocked by a defender. 

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