The first half of the action has just ended between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the Europa League fimal at the San Mames Stadium, and it’s time for our half-time player ratings.
It is the biggest game of the season for Tottenham Hotspur, who are back in a European final following heartbreak in Madrid in 2019, where Liverpool secured a 2-0 win against Spurs.
Once more, the Lilywhites are back in Spain, this time in Bilbao to take on yet another English opponent – Manchester United, who are desperate to secure a win following their dismal Premier League campaign.
Both sides are firmly placed in the bottom half of the Premier League table, with Manchester United in 16th and Tottenham in 17th, with a victory here their only route to the UEFA Champions League.
Check out our Tottenham Hotspur player ratings from the first half in the Europa League final:
Tottenham half-time player ratings vs Manchester United
Guglielmo Vicario – Vicario made a mess of a corner in the 16th minute, which did not inspire confidence. His failure to deal with the delivery into the box presented a really good chance for Amad, who flashed his shot wide. 6.
Pedro Porro – Tottenham may have a problem with the number ten role, but Porro has remained a creative outlet from deep in midfield. He put in a teasing cross that looked destined for Richarlison’s head, only for it to be well defended by Manchester United. 7.
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Cristian Romero – The captain for the night has not been called into action too often in this half, but as ever, when in possession, he has looked to break lines with his passing. 6.
Micky van de Ven – His recovery pace has not yet been tested, but with the scoreline still goalless, there are few complaints. 6.
Destiny Udogie – There have been a few nervy moments down his flank, at times struggling to cope with Amad and Bruno Fernandes combining on United’s right. 6.
Yves Bissouma – A bright showing from Bissouma, who has been relentless in the middle of the park, chasing and closing down every loose ball and keeping Rasmus Hojlund on a tight leash each time he looks to drop deep throughout the half. 8.
Rodrigo Bentancur – Part of a solid Tottenham midfield trio. He has regularly slotted in to cover Pedro Porro’s frequent inverting and overlapping runs. Bentancur has done the defensive side of his game well so far. 7.
Pape Matar Sarr – Ange Postecoglou has opted for Sarr in midfield, who has looked bright in the first half, with the Senegalese getting a shot at the edge of the box that looked goalbound, only for it to be blocked. He has also looked to get into the box at times, and with James Maddison absent, it was Sarr who provided the cross that led to Brennan Johnson’s goal. 8.
Brennan Johnson – The Welshman has brought real energy down the flank, pressing high and forcing mistakes. His pressing led to a dangerous chance when his cutback was parried and found Sarr at the edge of the area. He later scored the only goal of the half, poaching in from a lovely Sarr cross. 9.
Dominic Solanke – It has been a quiet forty-five minutes for the striker. He needs to be more aggressive aerially, as Harry Maguire has been dominant in those duels. 5.