United In Focus

Paul Scholes has claimed that the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham is “more likely” to be settled by a “mistake” rather than “quality.”

Manchester United face Tottenham in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening in an all-English showdown at Athletic Club’s San Mames Stadium.

The Red Devils earned their progression to the 2025 final after Manchester United overcame La Liga outfit Athletic Club in the semi-finals of the tournament.

United defeated Athletic Club 3-0 in the first leg in Spain before the Red Devils came from behind to beat the Spanish club 4-1 at Old Trafford in the return leg.

Tottenham, on the other hand, punched their route to the final by defeating Bodo/Glimt across both legs of their Europa League semi-final bracket.

Spurs picked up a 3-1 win in the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Ange Postecoglou’s men travelled to Norway and secured a 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt.

Despite reaching the Europa League final in Bilbao, both United and Tottenham have significantly underperformed in their respective Premier League campaigns.

United languish in 16th place in the Premier League table and Ruben Amorim’s men are only one point clear of 17th-place Tottenham with one league match remaining.

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Paul Scholes singles out ‘match-winning’ Man Utd vs Tottenham players in the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao

Ruben Amorim could sign off his season as Manchester United manager with his first piece of silverware if the Red Devils can once again lift the Europa League trophy.

The Europa League title is also essential for United to secure their only route back to Europe for the 2025-26 season via Champions League football.

Tottenham, much like United, also need to win the Europa League final if Ange Postecoglou’s side want to play European football for the following campaign.

Paul Scholes admitted that he could see Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes or Alejandro Garnacho being the difference-maker for United in the Europa League final.

The 50-year-old United legend also singled out Heung-min Son, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson for the impact that they could have for Spurs against United.

Speaking in his TNT Sports column, Scholes said: “When you look at the form of the two teams in the Premier League, they both make defensive mistakes and errors are more likely with the pressure on.

“However, there are players like Fernandes, Amad, Garnacho, Son, Solanke and Johnson who are capable of match-winning moments.

“It is more likely that a mistake rather than a bit of quality will decide the game, but with these two teams, anything can happen.”

What is Paul Scholes’ Man United vs Tottenham prediction for the 2025 Europa League final?

Scholes insisted that the Europa League final is “hard to call,” but the former United midfielder ‘favours’ the Red Devils in getting “over the line” against Tottenham.

“I think without [James] Maddison and [Dejan] Kulusevski, Spurs are forced to be more defensive,” he continued.

“Those two are the best players and make the team tick and play good football.

“They both played a part and scored in Spurs’ three wins over United this season. They make a huge difference to this Spurs team and without them, they are massively weaker.

“It’s so hard to call this game. I think with Spurs missing those two key players and United having more experience in finals and winning trophies, I just favour United to get over the line.”

United and Tottenham’s Europa League clash at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao is slated for kick-off at 8pm UK time on Wednesday evening.

The stage is now set for Ruben Amorim to unleash his key Manchester United first-team star in the Europa League final against Tottenham on Wednesday evening.

Manchester United and Tottenham’s 2025 Europa League final encounter will be hosted at Athletic Club’s San Mames Stadium in Bilbao on 21st May.

The Red Devils have already played at the San Mames Stadium this season and United defeated 10-man Athletic Club 3-0 in the first leg of the semi-finals.

Following United’s crucial advantage over Athletic Club in Spain earlier this month, the La Liga outfit were welcomed to Old Trafford for the return-leg match.

The Spanish side delivered the first blow of the tie by going 1-0 up ahead of half-time before United came from behind against Athletic Club after the break at home.

United thumped Athletic Club 4-1 in a sensational comeback win in the second half and the Red Devils punched their ticket to an all-English showdown in the final.

Spurs, meanwhile, defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Ange Postecoglou’s men won 2-0 against the Norwegian side in Norway.

The Red Devils are now within touching distance of the Europa League trophy and Ruben Amorim could bag his first piece of major silverware as United manager.

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Ruben Amorim must see shades of Casemiro’s Real Madrid version in Man Utd’s display vs Tottenham in the 2025 Europa League final

Casemiro has seen a resurgence in form at Old Trafford and the Manchester United midfielder has once again become a key midfield influence for the Red Devils.

The 33-year-old Brazilian midfielder is under contract with United until 2026 and Casemiro’s future had been in doubt amid the 2024-25 season at Old Trafford.

However, Casemiro has seen a turnaround in fortunes in recent months and has established himself as a key United first-team player under manager Amorim.

The Brazil star has made 12 appearances in the 2024-25 Europa League run and Casemiro has shown his invaluable experience on the European stage for United.

Casemiro impressed United fans with his display against Real Sociedad in the second leg of the Europa League round-of-16 tie in the 4-1 win at Old Trafford.

The ex-Real Madrid star would later bag a hat-trick of assists in United’s sensational 5-4 comeback win over Lyon at Old Trafford in the second leg of the quarter-finals.

Casemiro has continued to exert his incredible influence from the heart of midfield and the Brazil international scored in both semi-final legs against Athletic Club.

The United star is all too familiar with the expectations of playing in a European final, having lifted a whopping five Champions League titles with Los Blancos.

There will be no doubt that Amorim will need to call upon Casemiro’s elite mentality in the Europa League again when United clash with Tottenham in the final.

Ruben Amorim learned first-hand why Casemiro is important to his Man Utd plans for now amid the Europa League campaign

Amorim made his feelings clear on Casemiro’s rejuvenation under his reign at Old Trafford and highlighted the United midfielder’s incredible winning mentality.

“The important thing with Casemiro is that he won everything with Real Madrid,” he said in April, as per Manchester United’s official website.

“He wasn’t playing because I understood that in that moment, he wasn’t the best option for how we [wanted] to play and he continued to work.

“I look at my players in the same way. If you improve what we ask of them, they have the opportunity. If they play well, they continue to play.

“That was the situation for Casemiro. The credit is all [on] the player. He is our player and will continue to be our player.”

United and Tottenham’s Europa League showdown in the 2025 final at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao is scheduled for an 8pm kick-off time in the UK.

Pedro Porro has warned his Tottenham Hotspur teammates not to underestimate Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United takes place in Bilbao on Wednesday night.

Tottenham are 17th in the Premier League table, with United one point and one place better off, but they meet in Spain for a shot at securing a place in the Champions League.

With Ange Postecoglou under pressure to keep his job at Tottenham, Ruben Amorim has been praising the opposing manager ahead of the final. Still, there is no denying that both teams have endured turbulent campaigns.

Both teams enter the final with several injuries, meaning key players will miss the biggest game of the season. They include Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Moreover, Amorim is waiting to see whether Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt will pass fitness tests for the game, after sustaining new injuries in the lead-up to the final.

Pedro Porro grateful to Ruben Amorim

Tottenham full-back Pedro Porro has praised Amorim for his human touch after crediting the United head coach’s role in helping his career reach new levels.

Pedro is looking to spoil the night in Bilbao for Amorim and United, but he doesn’t forget the care and attention shown to him at Sporting CP before he signed for Tottenham.

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“He’s a magnificent coach,” Porro said, as quoted by The Mirror. “I know him very well. It’s the way he treats the players. He always spoke to me as a person, it’s not just how he treated me from a football perspective.

“The way he works on the pitch is also very good but in this case I hope I’m the happy one.

“When I arrived (at Sporting), it was a little bit difficult for me. But like everything in football, sometimes it’s hard at first right?

“Things in life don’t always go the way you want them to but when I got there the truth is I had a lot of help from him and at that moment my football exploded. I’m really grateful to him for that.”

Much like United, Tottenham have been much stronger in Europe, although only the Red Devils can go the entire way unbeaten if they win on Wednesday night. Only three teams in Europa League history have achieved that feat. They include Chelsea (2019), Villarreal (2021) and Eintracht Frankfurt (2022).

Porro added: “The truth is we have very good feelings.

“Ignoring the Premier League, we are feeling good. The job the team has done in Europe has been enormous and I think we feel we’re in a good place. Those feelings have to carry over to the day of the final now.

“We have to forget everything else because we’ve worked very hard to get to this final. It’s very difficult to get to where we are in this Europa League and it’s where we want to be.”

Porro believes Tottenham face a ‘very good’ Man Utd team

United fans will argue that this may be one of the worst teams they’ve had in recent years, but it doesn’t sound like Porro agrees with that.

Tottenham have beaten United on three different occasions this season, but Porro will not be underestimating the Red Devils in Bilbao.

He added: “Well, I don’t think they’ve lost in the Europa League. They’re a very good team, with a very good coach no? In the end they haven’t had the luck in the Premier League, it’s like us isn’t it?

“But we’re two teams that know how to deliver and it’s going to be a very beautiful final. I hope we’re the happy ones at the end.”

Manchester United are preparing to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.

Thousands of Manchester United fans are travelling to Bilbao for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Tottenham, which will be the fourth time two teams from the same country compete to lift the trophy.

United reached the final as the only unbeaten team in the competition, while Tottenham breezed past Bødo/Glimt in the semi-finals.

Like United, Tottenham have multiple injuries going into the game. Ruben Amorim will be without Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee, while he waits to hear whether Leny Yoro or Matthijs de Ligt will pass fit after picking up injuries in recent weeks.

Unsurprisingly, United and Tottenham got into the final after losing their last league matches. That would explain why they are both set to finish the campaign just above the relegation zone.

Without further ado, here are three predictions ahead of the Europa League final.

Ruben Amorim to stick with same defence

United have had an array of injuries throughout the season, with the defence hit worse than other areas of the team.

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Amorim opted for a back-three of Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw against Chelsea and he is likely to stick with that against Tottenham.

There is a slight chance he kept Yoro and De Ligt out of the game to keep them fully refreshed to face Tottenham, but they’ve missed a few games in recent weeks and it would be a risk to throw them back in for such a match.

United’s head coach will make his decision based on the training sessions between now and the eagerly awaited trip to Bilbao.

Amad Diallo will finally play in a Europa League final

Amad Diallo will be making his third Europa League final appearance, but he has yet to play a single minute after being an unused substitute twice.

In 2021, the Ivory Coast international was on the bench for United against Villarreal, as the Red Devils lost on penalties.

Amad joined Rangers on loan the following season and was an unused substitute in the Europa League final in Seville when the Scottish side lost on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Now a star in United’s first team and fully recovered from injury, Amad will hopefully play a key role in this year’s Europa League final against Tottenham.

Manchester United to beat Tottenham in the Europa League final

Although I have plenty of nerves ahead of the final, my belief grows whenever we get closer to kick-off. It’s difficult to ignore the fact that United have been abysmal against other Premier League clubs but it should be different this time with more at stake.

This United team have proven in the past that they can raise their game for big occasions. Their biggest problem is not being able to play at a high level consistently, which explains why United were unable to win back-to-back games in the league this season.

Tottenham have their injuries in attack, while United have theirs in midfield. It will be two underperforming teams battling it out for a place in Europe’s most prestigious tournament.

I think United will be able to cope with the occasion and Ange Postecoglou’s side will come up short. The Reds are coming away from Bilbao with a 2-1 win over Tottenham.

Ruben Amorim will have to do something that only Sir Alex Ferguson has managed as Manchester United manager if he is to win the Europa League.

After a difficult six months in charge of Manchester United, the Europa League has been an escape for Ruben Amorim.

With the Premier League being an absolute nightmare for the 40-year-old, Europe is where he has been able to crack a smile. One of the only times he has allowed himself to celebrate was against Athletic Club during the 7-1 aggregate win.

In this game, when Mason Mount scored, Amorim celebrated like a proud father with a smile beaming from ear to ear. This isn’t a sight we are used to seeing from the Portuguese head coach.

However, there will not be smiles on Wednesday night in the build-up to the Europa League final against Spurs, with Amorim having to snap one worrying streak in order to win the trophy.

Manchester United have only beaten an Ange Postecoglou side once

In the build-up to the final, one point being consistently mentioned by those who believe Tottenham will win the game is that Spurs have beaten United three times this season.

In fact, since Ange Postecoglou arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, United have not beaten Spurs in five attempts, losing four and drawing one.

Two of these defeats have been under Amorim, although both have been by narrow margins.

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Manchester United vs Tottenham results with Ange Postecoglou as manager

However, Postecoglou’s record against United is not flawless, but we need to go all the way back to 2000 and Sir Alex Ferguson to find when the Red Devils beat a side coached by the Australian.

The only win came against South Melbourne in 2000 in the Club World Cup when Ferguson met Postecoglou in his first role as a manager.

So if United are to lift the trophy on Wednesday, it will mean Amorim has to snap this streak, and the odds would suggest he will, as few teams rack up such a winless streak against the Red Devils.

Ruben Amorim has a major advantage over Ange Postecoglou for the Europa League final

While Spurs have enjoyed good times over the past two years against United, the fact that this is a final hands Amorim an advantage.

Spurs are notorious for losing big games, while on The Overlap, Paul Scholes has predicted, United will find a way to win the game, with players having a winning mentality key for this.

In addition to this, Gary Neville has suggested Casemiro will be key for United as his winning mindset won’t let his teammates lose as he has done for the majority of the competition so far.

Amorim is managing a club with a tradition of winning, and this alone gives him an advantage over Postecoglou. When considering Spurs beat United at their worst, this game should tell a different story, as in Europe, Amorim’s side has been immense.

The Europa League final takes place in Bilbao on Wednesday, and government officials are ‘nervous’ as thousands of Manchester United and Tottenham fans are set to travel over the coming days.

It will be the fourth time two teams from the same country have contested for the Europa League final, with Tottenham Hotspur named as the designated home team against Manchester United.

Thousands of United fans have planned alternative routes to Bilbao for the final, which is set to be a brilliant occasion.

Although both teams are destined to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table, they now have one last opportunity to secure Champions League qualification.

Tottenham have already beaten United three times this season. Twice in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup. Ruben Amorim will be adamant that his team doesn’t let them win a fourth time in the Europa League final at the San Mames Stadium.

Those travelling to the match are advised to check out fan guides to Bilbao, as the city struggles to host everyone travelling, with many deciding to stay in neighbouring towns.

It’s a great opportunity for the Basque region to welcome more people, and they will benefit financially as a result.

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Basque security advisor ‘nervous’ about Europa League final

The Basque Government is braced for thousands of football fans in Bilbao.

Many of United’s amazing travelling support have already visited Bilbao this season, after facing Athletic Club in the Europa League semi-finals.

However, those fans will notice a big difference in the price of getting to Bilbao for the final. Not that it will stop them from following their team.

Many will travel to the Basque County without a ticket for the game due to limited availability.

The San Mames can hold over 53,000 fans, but just 29,000 tickets will go to fans of United and Tottenham while the remaining tickets will be allocated elsewhere by UEFA.

Those without tickets will likely watch the game in local bars since the fan zone outside San Mames Stadium will shut before kick-off.

There will be a mass police operation in place to ensure safety for everyone in attendance.

The security advisor for the Basque Government, Bingen Zupiria, admits he is feeling ‘nervous’ ahead of the final.

Speaking to SER Deportivos Bilbao, Zupiria said: “We are constantly reviewing the operation. I won’t hide the fact that I’m nervous; this job generates moments of anxiety.”

He added that they are working with police from the United Kingdom to ensure a safe event.

This will require the “largest security deployment” in the history of the Basque Country.

What did Ruben Amorim say about the Europa League final?

Speaking to the press during United’s media open day for the Europa League final, Amorim expressed his belief that the Red Devils will face a different challenge against Tottenham, compared to other teams they have met on their European run this season.

That is because United have struggled against English opposition in the Premier League, but they haven’t failed to break down teams across the continent.

“We’ll play a different game,” Amorim told reporters. “It’s not the same to play against Real Sociedad, or even Lyon or Athletic Bilbao. It’s going to be different. But we are prepared for that.

“The final is completely different, the context is different, the cup is there. We can see the cup. Even the last years with [Erik] ten Hag, with some problems, when they reach the final they were there. You guys know that. This team proved already that in the final they can step up and we know that.”

Roy Keane has had his say on who he thinks will win the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

It will be an all-English final in Bilbao as thousands of Manchester United and Tottenham fans set off on their travels to follow their team in Europe.

The Red Devils will be looking to continue an impressive Europa League campaign as they remain the only team unbeaten in the competition this season. Tottenham will be trying to prevent that while judging multiple injuries in the attack to players like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Meanwhile, United have several injury concerns in defence, so it balances out.

United and Tottenham go into the final after losing their last Premier League games, with both teams destined to finish in the bottom half of the table after turbulent campaigns.

It has been a season to forget for both teams, who initially felt they would be part of the top-four conversation, although there is still an opportunity to end it on a high.

Roy Keane’s Europa League final prediction

Roy Keane has cast his prediction ahead of the Europa League final.

United and Tottenham are currently preparing for their trip to Bilbao after suffering several injury setbacks in recent weeks.

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The Red Devils suffered a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea ahead of their trip to Spain, while at the same time Tottenham lost 2-0 against Aston Villa.

Amorim is looking to win United’s first European trophy since 2017, and it would be the first of his managerial career, whereas Tottenham would have to look back as far as 1984 for success on the continent.

When asked if will win the Europa League final, Keane gave his reasons for backing United to cross the line, singling out a player he believes can influence the game.

“You still have to fancy United, someone like Bruno can produce, the history of Manchester United still carries a little bit of weight,” Keane told Sky Sports on Friday night.

“There’s not much between them [in the league] but come the crunch, come the final, United’s history in finals, them winning cups the last few years, you’d like to think they would have a bit more knowledge around the game than Spurs.

“That might edge it for them, and I think Bruno can produce that bit of magic.”

Interestingly, Keane named Fernandes as the key player to watch, despite being critical of his leadership qualities in the past.

Keane was joined by Jamie Redknapp in the studio. The former Tottenham midfielder added: “[Dejan] Kuluseveski’s injury is a massive blow for Spurs, it feels like a 50/50 game for me. For Tottenham, it is an opportunity to change the narrative and history of the club.

“If they win a cup, their league position will be irrelevant… if they win a cup, then the players will have hero status.”

Redknapp was unable to predict a winner for the game. He concluded by saying: “I haven’t got a clue!”

Watch the Europa League final for free

Unless you are travelling to Bilbao for next week’s final, you will be able to watch all of the action for free.

Broadcaster TNT Sports have confirmed that Tottenham vs United will be made free for all supporters to watch.

TNT Sports, who have shown Europa League football in the UK all season long, will be showing the game free-to-air on their Discovery+ app. The same applies to the Champions League and Europa Conference League finals later this month.

Those with valid TNT Sports subscriptions should be able to sign into the Discovery+ app.

Manchester United’s Europa League final is still days away and they play Chelsea in the Premier League first, but Ruben Amorim has plenty to fall back on already before facing Spurs.

Ruben Amorim set a challenge to Man Utd after the win against Athletic Club but it backfired sensationally, with the team losing 0-2 to West Ham.

He did so again before the Chelsea game, knowing full well that he needs his team to be at their best against a club that has already beaten United thrice this season.

Of those three occasions, two losses have come under Ruben Amorim, and what he said the last time United lost to Spurs will give Man Utd fans a sense of deja vu.

It’s still true and will decide the Europa League final.

Ruben Amorim’s assessment of Man Utd

Man Utd last faced Spurs on February 16, the week straight from hell when Amorim lost three players to injury during the international break.

Still, United gave a good account of themselves and lost just 1-0 courtesy of an early James Maddison goal.

Maddison will miss the Europa League final, alongside Dejan Kulusevski who is injured and recently underwent surgery.

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However, the theme of that game from United’s POV is something that follows them to this day.

Here are Ruben Amorim’s words after United lost to Spurs that day, and any Man Utd fan will struggle to decipher when they were said, and for which game, if they weren’t told that beforehand.

He said at the time: “I think the big difference was the goal they scored and we didn’t score. We had the chances. We tried a different approach with the players that we had. We created situations.

“In the end, the biggest difference was they scored and we didn’t. You want to score, sometimes in these moments you feel a little frustrated because that can change the game.”

Amorim’s assertion of “We created chances but didn’t score while they did” can be said for pretty much every loss since then, and that’s where the Europa League final will be decided as well.

Man Utd need to find their shooting boots

It’s remarkable that the problem diagnosed by Amorim still remains as chronic as ever three months on and has somehow got worse.

United’s Premier League position would be far better than what it is had the players just taken their chances against the likes of Wolves, Bournemouth, or West Ham, just to name a few.

The team has consistently started to create chances and dominate games, which is a credit to the coach, but they can’t put the ball in the net, where the coach can’t help.

Fans would hope that the wastefulness is washed away in the Premier League because they can’t afford to have a repeat of that 1-0 loss in the Europa League final.

They will get chances, and they need to take them this time.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted that he knows one of Tottenham’s biggest strengths ahead of the 2025 Europa League final next Wednesday.

The Red Devils are within touching distance of major silverware and Ruben Amorim could still lift his first trophy as Manchester United manager before the season is out.

United reached the Europa League final after the Red Devils overcame La Liga club Athletic Club across both legs of their semi-final encounters this month.

The Red Devils defeated the Spanish side 3-0 in the first leg in Bilbao before United came from behind against Athletic Club to seal a 4-1 win at Old Trafford.

United must capture the Europa League trophy this season if the Red Devils want to secure their return to Europe for the 2025-26 campaign under Amorim.

The Red Devils languish in 16th place in the Premier League table and United are unable to secure a place in any European tournament through their league standing.

However, a potential United victory over Tottenham in the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao would open a path back to the Champions League for Amorim’s men.

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Ruben Amorim breaks silence on Premier League side Tottenham before Man Utd’s Europa League final encounter

Tottenham punched their ticket to the Europa League final after Spurs picked up two wins over Bodo/Glimt across the two legs of their semi-final run in the tournament.

Spurs defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the home leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month before Tottenham travelled away and defeated the Norwegian side 2-0.

Ange Postecoglou’s men, much like Ruben Amorim’s side, have struggled in the 2024-25 Premier League campaign and Tottenham are 17th in the table.

Spurs are in the same position as United for trying to secure European football for next season, with the Europa League being their last real shot of securing it.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Amorim believes that a “key point” for United in the all-English Europa League final showdown will be the “set pieces” from Tottenham.

“Set pieces are going to be a key point,” he explained.

“They are really strong on that because they win a lot of corners so that is a key point.”

Ruben Amorim makes his feelings clear on Man Utd as a club ahead of the Europa League final vs Tottenham

Amorim has insisted that United still remain a “top club” amid their turbulent season and the Red Devils’ rich history and support are a reminder of the stature of the club.

“It’s easier for us in other countries to understand how big Manchester United is,” he said.

“Sometimes people here forget about that, but when you come from abroad, you understand this is Manchester United.

“No matter the context, you feel the history and that’s why this club will always be a top club because of the past and everything around it.”

The Europa League final between United and Tottenham will be held at Athletic Club’s San Mames Stadium, with kick-off slated for 8pm UK time on 21st May.

Micah Richards and Gary Lineker could not see eye to eye on one contentious issue surrounding the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham.

Manchester United knocked Athletic Club out of the Europa League semi-finals last Thursday after the Red Devils came from behind at Old Trafford in the return leg.

The Red Devils went 1-0 down in the first half against the La Liga outfit before mounting a second-half comeback and United sealed a 4-1 win over Athletic Club.

United held the advantage over Athletic Club going into the second leg after Ruben Amorim’s side had beaten the 10-man Spanish side in the first leg earlier this month.

United punched their ticket to the Europa League final and Tottenham secured their place in the final after overcoming Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals.

Spurs defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Ange Postecoglou’s men defeated the Eliteserien outfit 2-0 in the return leg.

The Europa League final between United and Tottenham will be staged at Athletic Club’s San Mames Stadium on 21st May, with kick-off slated for 8pm UK time.

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United and Tottenham are vying to secure the Europa League trophy to ensure their place in Europe for the 2025-26 campaign and play in the Champions League again.

Micah Richards and Gary Lineker argue over the Champions League ‘reward’ for the Europa League winner out of Man Utd and Tottenham

Manchester United languish in 16th place and Ruben Amorim’s men are only one point above 17th-place Tottenham with only two Premier League matches left.

The Red Devils will end the season with their worst finish in the Premier League era, while Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou faces immense pressure over his future.

United have lost 17 times in the Premier League alone in the 2024-25 campaign and Spurs have suffered 20 losses in the league amid their respective woeful seasons.

The poor form of United and Tottenham in the Premier League has sparked debates around the Europa League winner getting into the Champions League.

Gary Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer discussed the remarks of former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger about the Europa League and the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger suggested that the Europa League winner should not receive automatic passage to the Champions League for the following campaign.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards said: “It’s only been highlighted because Spurs and Man United have been so bad in the league. That’s the reward for winning it!”

Lineker added: “It’s not like they’ve thrown this in at the last minute, it’s been like that for a few years.”

Responding to fellow The Rest Is Football podcast co-host Lineker, Richards explained: “It doesn’t sit well with me though that you can be so bad in the league, win a trophy, and then get Champions League football, it’s supposed to be the consistency throughout the season.

“But rules are rules, I don’t think we should start debating that now, it’s been like that for a while and you just roll with it.”

Alan Shearer’s verdict on the Champions League debate around the 2025 Europa League final between Man Utd and Tottenham

Alan Shearer also dropped his two cents amid Gary Lineker and Micah Richards’ discourse around the Europa League winner entering the Champions League.

Speaking on the debate, the Premier League legend said: “That competition’s different this year because the teams that drop out of the Champions League usually go into the Europa League, so I think the standard in that competition has probably not been as high as it has been, hence why teams that are going to finish fourth and fifth bottom of the Premier League are going to be in the Champions League.

“It’s incredible, really, when you think about it. Fourth and fifth bottom of the Premier League, Man United and Spurs, oh my goodness, it’s like… wow.”

United will return to Premier League action on Friday evening against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before the Europa League final vs Tottenham next Wednesday.