Tottenham vs Manchester United has a chance to blossom into a Premier League rivalry if this 2024-25 Europa League Final in Bilbao, Spain in the Basque Country turns out to be a memorable affair. Two teams that are buried at the bottom of the Premier League table, only escaping relegation, despite their massive wage bills, due to historically poor performances from the three relegated teams this season. They have put together a contrasting campaign in Europe’s second competition, the Europa League.
The format for the Europa League was different this year than past years, “third placed” teams in the Champions League were no longer sent down to the knockout phase of the Europa League, and like the Champions and Conference Leagues, a league phase took place to determine which teams would advance to the end stages of the tournament. Both the Europa and the Conference League have been where the Premier League sides can flex their financial muscle and squad depth over the rest of Europe, as they can rotate in more talented players in a way most sides can’t.
Tottenham scored five wins in the league phase, including a win over Hoffenheim, while draws against Roma and Rangers and a loss against Turkish Champions Galatasaray were warning signs, but didn’t keep them out of the final stages of the tournament. Tottenham needed a comeback effort against AZ Alkmaar to advance at home in the round of 16, they held off Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarterfinals, before their depth and class was too much for semifinal opponents Bodo/Glimt from Norway.
Manchester United didn’t lose in the league phase, but had a tougher time than Tottenham in the knockout stages, they defeated Spanish side Real Sociedad in the round of 16, and needed a miracle comeback to put away Lyon in the quarterfinals at home, before defeating the hosts of this final, Athletic Bilbao in the semis, as Bilbao self destructed during their opening home game in the tie.
Fans of both of these “big six” Premier League sides have endured a rollercoaster season, nearly every week the performances in the Premier League and domestic cup competitions have been shambolic, both Manchester United and Tottenham have been held scoreless in their last two Premier League games, and their table positions are some of the worst ever compiled for both storied clubs. How many European cup finals have featured teams where fans led midseason protests against ownership over poor results?
Manchester United watched rivals Liverpool just pull ahead of them in the trophy competition and would love to get another a piece of hardware, while an oft maligned Tottenham Hotspur side last won a trophy in 2008. Star striker Harry Kane left for Bayern Munich and finally won hardware this season. The irony is not lost on supporters.
Manchester United sacked their manager midseason, Ruben Amorim from Sporting Club in Lisbon hasn’t done them much good in the Premier League, but will get plenty of credit along with Bruno Fernandes for steering this team in the Europa League, while fans have called for Ange Postecoglou’s firing, but the much maligned Australian promised a trophy within 2 years of taking over Spurs, and he has backed it up when it comes to the Europa League thus far.
The business approach and ownership styles of Manchester United owner Jim Ratcliffe, and Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy has been come under fire as well, both how they manage finances and their transfer market policies. While Tottenham in particular dealt with a rash of injuries that saw them relying on youth and untested players for large parts of the season. Tottenham fans enter the Europa League final daring to dream for the first time since the 2019 Champions League final, where a miracle Spurs side crashed out in an all-Premier league clash against Liverpool, a 2-0 result, with the first goal scored after 2 minutes due to a handball, that began a decline in performance for Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester United first won the Europa League under Jose Mourinho (who later managed Tottenham) in 2016-17, and they are back in the Europa League final for the first time since tasting defeat against Spanish side Villarreal on penalties in 2020-21. While Tottenham’s significant talent in the Premier League era hasn’t turned into trophies.
For both sides the domestic season was lost long ago, but for something like 90 minutes in Bilbao, the fans of these global giants will forget all that and put their hopes behind the Red Devils or the Lilywhites to secure glory on a memorable European Night. This game will resonate far beyond England, with Manchester United still the a top 5 brand in global football, with fans in every continent, and Tottenham a powerhouse in Asia and the United States thanks to players like South Korea’s superstar Son Heung-Min. For the winner, it will be glory, Tottenham supporters dream about it, Manchester United supporters have come to expect it, for the loser, there will be significant changes coming next season, especially with Champions League football only happening for the winner of this game.
Here are your predictions for Wednesday’s final in Bilbao
Tottenham vs Manchester United
(Wednesday in Bilbao, Spain)
Steen Kirby: Tottenham will enter the final with a measure of confidence—despite failing to score in their last 180 minutes of Premier League action. They’ve already beaten Manchester United twice this season in the league, as well as winning their EFL Cup meeting. Most of those matches were tight affairs, though a standout moment was their emphatic 3-0 victory over United under Erik ten Hag—arguably the highlight of Spurs’ Premier League campaign.
Manchester United, on paper, boast more talent and greater championship pedigree heading into this final, which they should approach as favorites. Their talisman Bruno Fernandes is eager to further cement his legacy, while young striker Rasmus Højlund has emerged as a rising star for the Red Devils.
Injuries are a factor for both teams. United are missing some defenders, but Tottenham face a bigger setback with the absences of Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, and James Maddison—all key attacking players. Spurs will rely on Dominic Solanke to lead the line, with Son Heung-min also chasing a lasting legacy in the white shirt, as the captain who ended the trophy drought.
Tottenham’s defense has been shambolic at many times this season, and United have the quality to exploit those weaknesses. While many long trophy droughts have been broken across Europe this season, I’d still be surprised if Spurs manage to hold their own parade returning from Bilbao. Prediction: Manchester United 3, Tottenham 2
Manuel Traquete: Both teams are looking to save their season with a European trophy that will also grant them a spot in the Champions League, so the pressure couldn’t be any higher. The two teams have faced three times this season and Tottenham dominated all three; at full strength they’ve looked like the better team this season and should have the slight edge. Prediction: Tottenham 2 Manchester United 1
Luke Fletcher: Tottenham Hotspur may not be in the best form domestically, but their Europa League campaign offers a genuine chance to end their season on a high and to claim their first major trophy since 2008, potentially. In what is shaping up to be the year of the underdog, with Crystal Palace lifting the FA Cup and Newcastle securing the League Cup, Spurs have a chance to complete a remarkable hat-trick of surprise success. Manager Ange Postecoglou, despite facing criticism during a difficult league campaign, has often pointed to his track record of success, stating,” I always win things in my second year,” a promising omen for the North London club.
While Spurs have been inconsistent, if not outright poor, in the league this season, they do have quality in the team when not plagued by injuries. They also have a strong record against Manchester United, having not lost to United in their last six meetings. The Europa League may provide the perfect stage for Tottenham to defy expectations and finally deliver silverware under Ange’s leadership. Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur after Extra Time
Main Photo Credit: IMAGO / Every Second Media