Two flawed giants, one much-needed prize. This year’s Europa League final will give one of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur a chance to atone for what has been a very poor season. In doing so, the victor will condemn the other side to a disastrous campaign, one that combines no silverware with a dreadfully low league finish.
Both teams find themselves in a position to rescue their horrid domestic campaigns, but this is unlikely to be a final separated by moments of brilliance. The weaknesses of the two clubs may well mean that the least poor and error-prone one on the night is the one that scores the silverware.
A High-Stakes Encounter
For Manchester United, as much as they would welcome another trophy, this game is a route back into Europe’s elite competition, the Champions League. The revenue and prestige that come with taking part in the UCL could be a real asset for Ruben Amorim as he tries to rebuild the Red Devils. As for Tottenham, it’s all about the silverware. This is a club that last won a trophy in 2008. Since then, they have lost four finals (three League Cups and one Champions League) so this is a great opportunity to end this painful ‘Spursy’ run.
There is also plenty on the line for Ange Postecoglou, who is very likely to be sacked should he fail to win this final. A firing may occur regardless of the result in Bilbao, but a victory would make it harder for the club to let him go. Amorim’s position, meanwhile, appears safe regardless of the result, according to a recent update from David Ornstein on the Sky Sports Back Pages podcast.
Head-to-Head Record
With so little separating these two clubs in the Premier League table, it may be more useful to look at their head-to-head record this campaign.
| Month | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | Tottenham | 1-0 | Manchester Utd | Premier League |
| Dec 24 | Tottenham | 4-3 | Manchester Utd | League Cup |
| Sep 24 | Manchester Utd | 0-3 | Tottenham | Premier League |
With three wins from three, recent head-to-head form works in Tottenham’s favour, who are now six games unbeaten against United. Looking at these recent encounters, what conclusions can be drawn? The first league meeting was when Erik ten Hag was still in charge, so this lowers its relevancy. Additionally, United played more than half the game with 10 men after Bruno Fernandes was unfairly sent off.
Amorim was in charge by the time United next met Spurs for a League Cup quarter-final contest, but he did make six changes from the team that beat Man City just days earlier. One of these changes, swapping Andre Onana for Altay Bayindir, proved decisive as the Turkish keeper could have done better on both the first and fourth goals he conceded. So, due to this, you probably should not look too much into this clash either.
The most recent game, however, could feasibly resemble what we might see in Bilbao. Both managers had some major injuries to contend with, but named the strongest side they could. A game low on quality went the way of Spurs, although United had enough chances against a vulnerable home defence that they ought to have netted one themselves. It was not a vintage display from either side, though, and it very much resembled a battle between two bottom-half teams.
Injuries
The man who scored the winner the last time these two met was James Maddison, but there is no chance of him doing the same in Bilbao. Maddison misses the final through injury, as does Tottenham’s only other central creative midfielder, Dejan Kulusevski. Missing both these men is a huge blow for Tottenham and one that could seriously limit their chance-creation.
We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our… pic.twitter.com/haC3MThcMd
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 14, 2025
As well as these two confirmed absences, Tottenham may also be without Lucas Bergvall. The energy he ordinarily brings to the midfield would be sorely missed. United perhaps have the slight advantage when it comes to unavailable players, as only Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee are confirmed out. Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot are doubts, but all have a decent chance of featuring in the final.
Route to the Final
Despite their domestic struggles, both teams have successfully battled their way to the final of this competition. In the knockout stages, United have had the harder run and this has seen them eliminate three decent sides in Real Sociedad, Lyon and Athletic Bilbao. To beat Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate shows what United are capable of, and they will take a great deal of confidence from this.
Manchester United’s Route to the Final (Knockout Rounds)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 leg 1 | Real Sociedad (Away) | 1-1 Draw |
| Round of 16 leg 2 | Real Sociedad (Home) | 4-1 Win |
| Quarter-Final Leg 1 | Lyon (Away) | 2-2 Draw |
| Quarter-Final Leg 2 | Lyon (Home) | 5-4 Win a.e.t. |
| Semi-Final Leg 1 | Athletic Bilbao (Away) | 3-0 Win |
| Semi-Final Leg 2 | Athletic Bilbao (Home) | 4-1 Win |
It is worth mentioning, though, that all three opponents collected a red card during a pivotal moment in each tie. Had Lyon, in particular, managed to keep 11 men on the field, perhaps we would have a different finalist. As for Spurs, their route to the big game has been largely free from drama. They rather unconvincingly beat Dutch outfit AZ, before a surprisingly resilient display against a very capable Eintracht Frankfurt team. Their 1-0 win in Germany was the first time in 13 matches the Eagles had lost a home Europa League match.
Tottenham Hotpsur’s Route to the Final (Knockout Rounds)
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 leg 1 | AZ Alkmaar (Away) | 1-0 Loss |
| Round of 16 leg 2 | AZ Alkmaar (Home) | 3-1 Win |
| Quarter-Final Leg 1 | Eintracht Frankfurt (Home) | 1-1 Draw |
| Quarter-Final Leg 2 | Eintracht Frankfurt (Away) | 1-0 Win |
| Semi-Final Leg 1 | Bodø/Glimt (Home) | 3-1 Win |
| Semi-Final Leg 2 | Bodø/Glimt (Away) | 2-0 Win |
Tottenham then took on Bodo/Glimt, a semi-final tie which the Londoners were heavily favoured to win. Many big teams have struggled in the Arctic Circle, Lazio being a recent example, but Spurs dominated both legs, securing a 5-1 aggregate win. Unlike their league performances, Tottenham have been defensively sound in Europe. Partly this is due to personnel, but also because Postecoglou has been less adventurous with his fullbacks and has been happy for his defence/goalkeeper to kick it long. There is no Ange-ball in Europe, so do not expect to see it appear in the final.
Who Will Win the Europa League?
The winner of this Europa League final will likely be the team that makes the fewest mistakes or is the least wasteful in front of goal. Although Tottenham have been very open in the league, Postecoglou takes a much more pragmatic approach in the Europa League and will likely do the same here, even though they face PL opposition. This will likely result in a relatively cagey match, especially with Spurs missing their two main central creative outlets.
It is a final that could go either way, but despite their inferior head-to-head record, which you can partially make excuses for, United should have the edge. They have arguably shown a bit more ability so far in this competition, have recent final-winning history (League Cup in 2023 and FA Cup in 2024) plus more ‘big game’ players like Harry Maguire and Casemiro. This superior experience may prove to give United a sufficient advantage against a team renowned for always falling short of success.