Both aiming to end dismal seasons on a high, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will meet in Bilbao for Wednesday’s Europa League final.
Domestic deficiencies can be brushed aside for 90 minutes - or more - as they convene for the sixth all-English UEFA final; like Spurs, United’s European hopes for next season also rest on success at San Mames.
Man Utd made this year’s decider by spoiling the narrative of a cherished home final for Athletic Bilbao, cruising to a 3-0 first-leg triumph in the Basque Country before sealing the deal with a 4-1 home win one week later.
That straightforward success came after an incredible quarter-final tie against Lyon, in which they led by two goals at half time of the second leg before trailing by two in extra time. Two more goals then drew the Red Devils level, setting the stage for Harry Maguire to secure a last-gasp 7-6 aggregate win at Old Trafford.
Having scored 12 goals in their last three games, United have netted 35 throughout this Europa League journey; the only teams ever to score more in a single UEFA Cup or Europa League campaign were Borussia Monchengladbach in 1972-73 (36), Porto in 2010-11 (37), and Chelsea in 2018-19 (36).
United star Bruno Fernandes sits joint-top of the Golden Boot rankings with seven goals so far, while Rasmus Hojlund is one of several players on six.
Only Lyon’s Rayan Cherki (12) has been directly involved in more Europa League goals this season than United’s inspirational captain (11). Indeed, the only player to manage more in one campaign for an English club was Olivier Giroud, with Chelsea in 2018-19 (15).
Bolstering a misfiring attack, recent returnees Mason Mount and Amad Diallo both made an impact on the second-leg win over Athletic. However, Matthijs de Ligt is a doubt, while Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee and Diogo Dalot have just recovered from injuries; Lisandro Martinez is sidelined until next season.
It’s an evening kickoff in the UK, which means 3:00 PM on the east coast of the U.S.
The match is only available on TNT Sports 1 or Discovery+ in the UK. Those Stateside can watch on CBS Sports or stream via Paramount+. In Canada, it’s on DAZN.
Everyone else, head on over to LiveSoccerTV to find your viewing options.
Manchester United possible starting lineup: Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Diallo, Fernandes; Hojlund