The Europa League final is poised to be a thrilling all-Premier League showdown between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Despite underwhelming performances in the league, both teams have a golden chance to salvage their season with a trophy and a spot in next year's Champions League.
Earlier this campaign, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou declared his knack for securing silverware in his second season at the helm, and he's just one match away from making good on that promise at Tottenham. The north London club's last taste of glory was the 2008 League Cup, and lifting the Europa League trophy would mark their first European success since 1984.
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On the other hand, United boss Ruben Amorim has also faced challenges since taking over from Erik ten Hag, with the Red Devils sitting just a point above Spurs in 16th place. However, a win against the Londoners would guarantee United's participation in the Champions League next season and ensure a third consecutive year of silverware for the Old Trafford outfit. Here's your complete guide to watching the highly anticipated Spurs vs United clash in the Europa League final.
Europa League final kick off time
The Europa League final between Spurs and United is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21. The match will kick off at 8pm.
The San Mames Stadium in Bilbao will play host to the game, a ground where United have fond memories, having secured a 3-0 victory in the first leg of their semi-final tie against Athletic Bilbao.
Europa League final TV channel
The Europa League final will be broadcast live on TNT Sports. UK viewers can tune in to TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate for the action.
Europa League final free live stream
The match will be available for live streaming on the Discovery+ app, which hosts TNT Sports. Discovery+ can be accessed on smartphones, laptops, tablets, and smart TVs.
For those without a Discovery+ subscription, new customers can watch the Europa League final for free by downloading and registering their details on the Discovery+ app. However, unlike previous years, TNT Sports will not be streaming the final live on YouTube.
The TNT website explains how fans can watch along for free;
Have TNT Sports via discovery+ Premium, EE, Sky or Virgin Media TV, with the best viewing experience you will be able to enjoy all of the action and build up programming on TNT Sports 1 or TNT Sports Ultimate.
Have access to discovery+ basic account with EE TV, Sky, Prime Video, you can login or, if you haven’t already, activate your discovery+ account to enjoy all three finals for no extra cost. Prime Video customers with a discovery+ Basic subscription will also be able to watch all three finals on the Prime Video app.
Are new to TNT Sports and discovery+. Viewers without discovery+ simply need to download the app on their mobile device, web or access via their TV, register their details online, kick back and enjoy the game for free. No subscription required.
Have Virgin Media TV, all customers in the UK can watch on channel 527.
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Europa League final TV slot
TNT Sports is set to dedicate significant airtime to the Europa League final. The pre-match build-up between Spurs and United will commence at 6pm, two hours before kick-off.
A crucial game for both clubs, TNT Sports' post-match coverage is slated to last until 11pm. This also accounts for the potential of extra time and a penalty shootout.
In such a case, the TV slot may be extended beyond 11pm to cover the celebrations and interview those involved in the final.
Europa League final team news
Due to the specific squad rules of the Europa League, Spurs players Radu Dragusin, Timo Werner, Fraser Forster and Antonin Kinsky were never going to participate in the final as they were omitted from the club's squad for the knockout rounds. However, Tottenham manager Postecoglou has other concerns to address.
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been hit by injuries in recent weeks, with the latter already having undergone surgery. Young midfielder Lucas Bergvall is another significant absentee who is not expected to feature in Bilbao, despite making headway in his recovery.
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Spurs were handed a fresh injury concern in their loss to Aston Villa last Friday, as Pape Matar Sarr sustained a knock that puts him in doubt for the final. Meanwhile, Dane Scarlett will not be included in Postecoglou's plans as he is also recuperating from surgery.
For United, defender Lisandro Martinez and forward Joshua Zirkzee have been struck with season-ending ACL and hamstring injuries, respectively. The majority of the club's other fitness concerns revolve around their defence.
Matthijs de Ligt made a comeback against Brentford earlier this month, but has not played again since being substituted due to a knee injury. Fellow centre-back Leny Yoro recently recovered from a broken foot, but seemed to worsen the same area in United's loss to West Ham. Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot is making progress in his recovery, but Amorim is unlikely to risk playing the full-back.
Europa League final trophy parade
Both clubs may have had similarly frustrating seasons outside of European competition, but they plan to celebrate a potential Europa League victory in distinctly different ways. It has been reported that United will not hold an open-top bus parade if they triumph, but will instead host a barbecue for players and staff.
United will have little time to bask in the glory of potential silverware, as they wrap up their Premier League season at home against Aston Villa on Sunday, May 25, before jetting off for a post-season tour in Kuala Lumpur. The last time United fans saw an open-top bus parade was after clinching the 2013 Premier League title. There were no public festivities when the club triumphed in the Europa League under Jose Mourinho in 2017.
On the other hand, Spurs are expected to hold a parade if they manage to break their 17-year trophy drought. The north London club have lost four cup finals, including the 2019 Champions League, since they last hoisted a trophy.
Europa League final odds
Spurs are seen as slight favourites (2/1) to win the match in normal time over United (6/4), according to Oddschecker. The draw is pegged at 12/5, which could result in extra time and potentially a penalty shootout.
In terms of an outright winner, United are thought to have a slight advantage at 4/5 while Spurs are priced at evens.