Llorente scored in both legs of the 2011–12 Europa League round of 16 against Manchester United, as Athletic won both games and went through 5–3 on aggregate. In the next round he scored twice at Schalke 04 in a 4–2 win, helping the team eventually reach the final. His seven goals in the tournament also made him the club's highest scorer in European competition, beating the total of 11 set by Dani in the 1980s, later surpassed by Aduriz in 2016.