Europa League Final Preview: Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United aim for eternal European glory in a season filled with woes
- Anweshan Ghosh
- May 21
- 3 min read
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will go head-to-head tonight in the final of the UEFA Europa League at the Estadio de San Mamés in Bilbao as both teams aim to win their only possible silverware of the season.
It appears to be an intensely tight contest with no clear favourites, as both Man United and Tottenham have been disastrous in the Premier League in the current campaign, sitting at 16th and 17th positions, respectively.
It's all or nothing for both Spurs and the Red Devils, as a loss in the final would not only result in them missing out on a prestigious trophy but also missing out on European football next season, whereas a victory in the final would send the winners directly into next season’s Champions League league phase.
Tottenham haven't lifted any silverware since 2008, with the current season being a new low for them all together, having experienced their worst ever league campaign. In 37 games, the North London giants have secured a shocking 37 points only.
As a result, head coach Ange Postecoglou, who is under tremendous pressure, will be eager to win this game and also keep his famous statement, “I usually win things in my second season”, true.
Meanwhile for Manchester United, a victory would possibly mean redemption for the already-fatigued Ruben Amorim and could possibly result in him saving himself from losing the dressing room and being sacked.
The 40-year-old Portuguese replaced Ten Hag back in November, when the club were just four points off the top four. Fast forward to the end of the season; they now sit just two places above the relegation zone with just 39 points in 37 matches and have suffered 18 losses in a single league campaign for the first time in their history.
Can Big Ange guide Tottenham and manage to pull off the “impossible task” by winning the Europa League?
Tottenham Hotspur have often been criticised and joked about for their lack of trophies and their poor luck in cup finals for almost two decades now, causing the fans to believe that winning silverware for them has now become an “impossible talk”.
Spurs, who were brilliant last season under Ange Postecoglou, have shown promise for a better future. However, this season has been a complete disaster for the club, being riddled with injuries to senior players, forcing Postecoglou to field an inexperienced set of players on a regular basis, which led to their inconsistency this season.
However, if any manager can pull off the “impossible task” of winning a trophy at Tottenham, it surely has to be Ange Postecoglou, with the Australian having previously ended trophy droughts at every club he previously managed.
He had revamped Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F. Marinos and Celtic FC into consistent winners after all of them going through a long period without silverware. Tonight, he has the opportunity to do the same with Tottenham and cement his name into the history books of the club.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United: Team News and Predicted Line-ups
Manchester United
Andre Onana (GK), Victor Lindelöf (CB), Harry Maguire (CB), Leny Yoro (CB); Patrick Dorgu (LM), Casemiro (CDM), Manuel Ugarte (CDM), Noussair Mazraoui (RM), Bruno Fernandes (c) (CAM), Amad Diallo (CAM), and Rasmus Højlund (ST).
Formation: 3-4-2-1
Manager: Ruben Amorim
Injuries: Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt.
Tottenham Hotspur
Guglielmo Vicario (GK), Cuti Romero (CB), Micky Van De Ven (CB), Pedro Porro (RB), Destiny Udogie (LB), Rodrigo Bentancur (CDM), Yves Bissouma (CDM), Pape Sarr (CM), Brennan Johnson (RW), Dominic Solanke (ST), and Son Heung-Min (c) (LW).
Formation: 4-3-3
Manager: Ange Postecoglou
Injuries: Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, and Dane Scarlett.
Match Facts
Venue: San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao, Spain.
Match Officials: Felix Zwayer (Referee), Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz (Assistant Referees); Maurizio Mariani (Fourth official), Daniele Bindoni (Reserve AR), Bastian Dankert (VAR), Benjamin Brand (Assistant VAR), and Carlos del Cerro Grande (VAR support)
Kick-Off Time: 12:30 AM IST (Indian Standard Time), 20:00 PM BST (British Summer Time).
Live Streaming on: Sony Sports TV network and Sony Liv in India; TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate in the UK; CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ in the United States.
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