“Lads, it’s Tottenham” – Here is why Manchester United will win the Europa League finalFormer Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson used the infamous words “Lads, it’s Tottenham” to motivate his players in a team talk before a match against the North Londoners.
Now years later with United suffering a huge decline since the legendary manager’s retirement, the gap between the two sides has virtually diminished.
This is reflected by their current Premier League positions, with Ruben Amorim’s team sitting in 16th and Spurs a point below them in 17th.
The two sides have had dreadful league campaigns, but they have the opportunity to end their season on a high by beating the other in the Europa League final on Wednesday.
Tottenham will fancy their chances of winning the showpiece event at San Mames, having already beaten their Manchester rivals three times in 2024-25.
But despite that, we are inclined to think the Red Devils will come on top in Bilbao due to the following three reasons.
Injuries to key players
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou recently confirmed that Dejan Kulusevski has had a knee injury, ruling him out for the next few months. Since the Sweden international has been crucial in their triumphs over United this season, his absence will be a significant blow for Spurs.
The Londoners have already lost James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall to season-ending injuries, which means Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr will be the only three fit senior midfielders for the important clash. United also have doubts over the availability of Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot, but they have more depth in attack and midfield.
Semi-final victory at San Mames
Things were expected to be difficult for Manchester United in the away leg of the semi-final tie against Athletic Bilbao. But they were not daunted by the vociferous San Mames stadium as they came away with a 3-0 win after a brilliant double from Bruno Fernandes.
Their success at the difficult venue should serve as a big psychological boost as they will be accustomed to the pitch and atmosphere. Tottenham have had an impressive European campaign, but the lack of familiarity with the conditions will be a disadvantage for them.
Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought
Tottenham have not lifted a trophy since February 2008 when they defeated Chelsea in the League Cup final. On the other hand, Manchester United won the FA Cup just last year under Erik ten Hag, beating arch-rivals Manchester City in the final at Wembley.
Since it would mean more for the Lilywhites to win the Europa League than United, Ange’s men would also be under greater pressure and that could play in the hands of their opponents. The Red Devils’ experience in European finals also appears to give them an edge, with the club winning the Europa League in 2017 and reaching the final of the same competition in 2021.
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