Man United and Spurs are well set to make it an all-English Europa League final in Bilbao later this month.
Manchester United players celebrate after scoring a goal(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United will be seeking to confirm their place in the Europa League final this week.
The Reds host Athletic Club and have a commanding advantage ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday, having won 3-0 in Spain last week. It means Ruben Amorim’s side are heavy favourites to secure their spot in the final.
United have toiled domestically this season but have been a different beast in Europe and remain unbeaten in this season’s Europa League. Amorim has made the competition his priority in recent weeks and rested several stars for the 4-3 Premier League defeat to Brentford on Sunday.
United are 15th in the Premier League table and can finish no higher than 12th. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup before Christmas and their FA Cup campaign ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Fulham in the fifth round.
Yet they can still salvage something from their campaign. Should United win the Europa League they will earn entry into next season’s Champions League, which will provide a significant boost to the club both financially and in terms of summer recruitment.
But to do that the Reds must first finish the job against Athletic and then win a final against either Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt. Spurs lead 3-1 from the first leg and will be favourites to finish the job in Norway.
Regardless of who United face should they make the showpiece, they already have one clear advantage with Athletic Club’s San Mames ground also hosting the final. The Reds were 3-0 winners there last week in testing conditions with a vociferous home crowd.
Playing at the venue just weeks ahead of a possible final will offer an obvious advantage to United, who will know the lay of the land better than Spurs or Bodo/Glimt. It also helps off the pitch with players and officials experiencing the area first hand in terms of accommodation and planning, while United’s supporters will be better prepared for a second trip in a matter of weeks.
It might only be a marginal gain, but it is a gain nonetheless, and United will hope to make it count should they cement a spot in the final on May 21.
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