The 2024-25 UEFA Europa League final will be the sixth all-English major European competition final, and the third of those to involve Tottenham Hotspur, after the 1971-72 UEFA Cup final (won 3-2 on aggregate v Wolves) and the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League final (lost 0-2 to Liverpool).
This will be the fourth UEFA Europa League final to be contested between two sides from the same nation, after 2011 (Porto 1-0 Sporting Braga), 2012 (Atlético Madrid 3-0 Athletic Club), and 2019 (Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal).
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester Unitedâs only previous meeting in major European competition came in the 1963-64 Cup Winnersâ Cup last 16, with the Red Devils progressing 4-3 on aggregate over two legs under Matt Busby.
Tottenham Hotspur have won all three of their meetings with Manchester United in all competitions so far this season, twice in the Premier League (3-0 away, 1-0 home) and once in the League Cup (4-3 at home). The only opponent Spurs have ever won four games against in a single campaign were Manchester City in 1992-93, while the only side to beat the Red Devils four times in a single season were Everton in 1985-86.
Manchester United are winless in their last six meetings with Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions (D2 L4), losing their last three in a row. The Red Devils have never gone seven without a win against Spurs before, and have also never lost four successive matches against them.
Manchester United remain the only unbeaten side in major European competition this season, winning nine and drawing five of their 14 UEFA Europa League games. They are looking to become only the fourth side to win the Europa League without losing a single match that campaign, after Chelsea in 2018-19, Villarreal in 2020-21, and Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22.
Tottenham Hotspur are looking to win their first major trophy since the 2007-08 League Cup under Juande Ramos, 17 years and 86 days prior to this UEFA Europa League final. Spursâ last major European title was the 1983-84 UEFA Cup under Keith Burkinshaw, 40 years and 363 days ago.
This will be Manchester Unitedâs ninth major European final, with only Liverpool (15) reaching more among English clubs. The Red Devils have failed to win three of their last four such finals â Barcelona in the 2008-09 and 2010-11 UEFA Champions Leagues, and Villarreal in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League â winning the other 2-0 against Ajax in the 2016-17 Europa League.
Tottenham Hotspur have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League twice previously (1972, 1984), while victory here would see them become the second English club to win it three times, along with Liverpool. The only side to win the competition on more than three occasions are Sevilla (7).
Tottenham Hotspur have won nine of their 14 matches in this seasonâs UEFA Europa League (D3 L2), their most ever wins in a single campaign in major European competition, overtaking their eight in 1971-72, 1973-74, and 2006-07 (all UEFA Cup).
Manchester United have scored 35 goals in this seasonâs UEFA Europa League; the only sides ever to score more in a single UEFA Cup/Europa League campaign are Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1972-73 (36), Porto in 2010-11 (37), and Chelsea in 2018-19 (36).
Only Athletic Club (30) have had more shots following high turnovers than both Manchester United (23) and Tottenham Hotspur (22) in this seasonâs UEFA Europa League. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are also joint-top of the 2024-25 competition for direct attacks (32, level with Lyon).
Ruben Amorim is looking to become only the third manager to win a major trophy in his first season in charge of Manchester United, after José Mourinho in 2016-17 (League Cup & UEFA Europa League) and Erik ten Hag in 2022-23 (League Cup). Amorim also could become only the third manager to win a major European title with an English club while aged 40 or younger, after Howard Kendall (1984-85 Cup Winnersâ Cup with Everton, 38) and Gianluca Vialli (1997-98 Cup Winnersâ Cup with Chelsea, 33).
Tottenhamâs Ange Postecoglou is the first Australian manager ever to lead a side to a major European final. Itâs the first time a manager from a particular nation has taken charge of a major European final for the first time since Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjær lost the 2021 UEFA Europa League final on penalties to Villarreal with Manchester United.
Only Rayan Cherki (12) has been directly involved in more UEFA Europa League goals this season than Manchester Unitedâs Bruno Fernandes (11 â 7 goals, 4 assists). Indeed, the only player to be involved in more for an English club in a single campaign in the competition was Olivier Giroud for Chelsea in 2018-19 (15 â 11 goals, 4 assists).
Tottenham Hotspur forward Dominic Solanke has scored in each of his last four appearances against Manchester United in all competitions (5 goals). Since Alex Ferguson left the Red Devils in 2013, only one player has scored in 5+ consecutive appearances against them, with Mo Salah doing so in six in a row from January 2021 to March 2023.
Manchester Unitedâs Bruno Fernandes (7 goals, 4 assists), and Tottenham Hotspurâs Dominic Solanke (5 goals, 4 assists) each require one assist to record both 5+ goals and 5+ assists in this seasonâs UEFA Europa League, a feat only two players have achieved previously: Kevin De Bruyne in 2014-15 (5 goals, 5 assists), and Giuliano in 2016-17 (8 goals, 6 assists).