For Manchester United or Tottenham, a miserable campaign will end in the glory of the Europa League. Despite the two teams that languished in the lower half of the Premier League, the Champions League is now only one match.
This is the award proposed after the two English clubs in difficulty qualified Thursday at the final of the second level European competition.
United beaten Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the semi-final in the second stage at Old Trafford and won 7-1 in aggregate. Tottenham won 2-0 at Bodø / Glimt to seal a 5-1 global victory.
He set up a final of the Europa All-Angless League for the second time in six years after Chelsea beat Arsenal to lift the trophy in 2019.
“If we do not win the final, that does not mean anything for us,” said coach-United Ruben Amorim. “It is difficult to describe what it is to be director of this club. You want to give them something (fans), because we were so disappointing in the Premier League.”
United returned from 1-0 to half-time against Bilbao, with Mason Mount who left the bench to mark twice after the break. Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund were also on the target.
Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro struck for Tottenham against Bodø / Glimt in Norway.
The final is in Bilbao on May 21.
Triumph of four goals from the UTD man
🧡 Tottenham’s Away Win in BodøPerformance of the week? 🤔#AuelPotW
– UEFA Europa League (@europaleague) May 8, 2025
“It’s an incredible feeling,” said Spurs defender Micky Van de Ven. “We had a difficult season, but we are a match to win silverware.”
United, spurs can transform misery into glory
A major title alone would be enough to save what was a season to forget for the United and the Spurs. But the additional price of a place in the lucrative Champions League would put the winner from the European elite in the next quarter.
This did not seek to one or the other team for most of the campaign because they were Langui closer to the relegation zone than the first five.
United is 15th in the standings after losing a 16 -game club record in the Premier League. It is also certain to record your worst total points in the modern era, as well as its lowest finish.
For Tottenham, it’s even worse – sitting a place below United after a record club of 19 defeats in the Premier League.
Now, one of these teams has the opportunity to effectively erase their lamentable domestic shape by winning the final, which will be the fourth time they have clashed this season.
The Spurs won the three previous meetings – twice in the League and also in the English League Cup.
“We are struggling, both of us, so I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Amorim. “It’s a good and a bad thing with this team. I never know. “
Double
The two -legged victory of United on Bilbao challenged its performances during most of the season, who saw the former coach Erik Ten Hag fired in October and his replacement, Amorim, supervised 12 defeats in 24 championship games.
Bilbao, fourth in the Spanish League, dragged 3-0 from the first leg, but rose a response through Mikel Jaucregizar’s long-term shot in the 31st minute to Old Trafford.
There were signs of nerves in United’s game when visitors applied more pressure, but Mount’s introduction in the 62nd turned the game. He turned and run a low blow in front of Bilbao’s goalkeeper, Julen Acturerezabala, 10 minutes after his arrival.
Casemiro was heading in front of the 79th and Hojlund scored at close range in the 85th.
Mount obtained his second when he spotted ActonrerereSabala from his line in the first minute of the time of downtime and pulled home near the half-chemin line.
This is the third final of United Europa League in eight years, having won the competition in 2017.
United won the FA Cup last year and the League Cup in 2023 and it would be a third winning season of a consecutive trophy.
It would also be the first of Amorim for the club after winning two Portuguese league titles with Sporting Lisbon. He described it as “massive”.
“For me, it is the most important because it is the next one,” he said.
Postcoglou prediction
Tottenham manager, Ange Postcoglou, insists that he still offers a trophy in his second year in charge.
It was true in his previous clubs Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic.
But even the most optimistic fans of the Spurs should wonder if he could maintain this record, given the difficulties of the team this season.
Now it’s up to a match to get their supplies in his statement.
The Spurs led 3-1 of the first step against a Bodø / Glimt team which became the first in Norway to reach a major European semi-final. But the trip to the Aspmyra stadium, located north of the Arctic Circle, with an artificial playground, meant that there was still a return perspective.
Two goals in six minutes in the second half killed all thought to that, Solanke marking the 63rd and porro adding the second.
The last Spurs trophy was the League Cup in 2008.
#Uecl Final pending 🆚 Real Betis. pic.twitter.com/62i96gxaua
– Chelsea FC (@Chelseafc) May 8, 2025
League
Chelsea will play Real Betis in the final of the UEFA conference league.
Chelsea advanced with a 5-1 on the global victory against Djurgården-winning the second floor 1-0 by the goal of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
In the other semi-final, Betis attracted 2-2 to Fiorentina after an additional time and won 4-3 on aggregate.
