Spurs vs Manchester United: Europa League Final Preview

Tottenham’s Road to Bilbao

For Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, this marks the club’s first European final since the 2019 Champions League defeat to Liverpool, and an opportunity to end a 17-year wait for silverware. Having won the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1984, Spurs could become the second English club after Liverpool to lift Europe’s second-tier trophy three times.

Tottenham reached the final after finishing fourth in the league phase and navigating knockout wins over AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt — the latter dispatched 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Dominic Solanke starred with goals in both legs, taking his tally to five in the competition, along with four assists.

However, their domestic woes tell a different story. Postecoglou’s side have suffered 21 Premier League defeats, sitting 17th with one game to play. Despite that, their Europa League form has been a beacon: nine wins in 14 matches, a club record for a European season.

Tottenham will also take confidence from their recent dominance over Manchester United, winning all three meetings this term — including a 3-0 league win at Old Trafford and a 4-3 thriller in the EFL Cup. They are unbeaten in six head-to-heads and could defeat United four times in one season for the first time ever.

Manchester United’s European Bid

Manchester United, meanwhile, are eyeing their second Europa League crown in eight years, having lifted the trophy in 2017. Ruben Amorim’s men are unbeaten in the competition this season and have scored a remarkable 35 goals — a tally only three teams have ever surpassed in a single Europa League or UEFA Cup campaign.

After a dramatic quarter-final escape against Lyon and a comprehensive 7-1 aggregate semi-final win over Athletic Bilbao, United are riding a strong European wave despite domestic disappointment. Amorim could join Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag as the only United managers to win silverware in their debut season, while also becoming the fourth coach to guide an unbeaten team to Europa League glory.

Bruno Fernandes has been central to their charge, registering seven goals and four assists in the tournament — level with Lyon’s Rayan Cherki for the most goal contributions in the competition. Rasmus Hojlund has also chipped in with six goals.

Team News

Postecoglou is expected to recall several first-team regulars after rotating in the 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa. Guglielmo Vicario will return in goal, while Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur should all start. Heung-min Son, who recently returned from injury, could well feature in the starting lineup again. Spurs are without Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin through injury.

For United, Amorim faces a few selection headaches. Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee remain out, and there are doubts over Matthijs de Ligt, Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro. Mason Mount and Amad Diallo could feature after making notable contributions in the semi-final second leg.

Key Stats & Players to Watch

• Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke has five goals in his last four appearances against Manchester United and has been directly involved in nine Europa League goals this season.
• Bruno Fernandes also has 11 goal involvements in the competition, while only Olivier Giroud (15 in 2018-19) has managed more in one season for an English club.
• United are winless in their last six meetings with Spurs (D2, L4).
• Eight of the last 11 head-to-heads between the sides have featured over 2.5 goals.

As both teams seek a rare bright spot in disappointing seasons, the 2025 Europa League final promises tension, narrative, and the potential for late-season redemption at San Mamés.