Tottenham Hotspur is set to face Manchester United in the highly anticipated final match of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League season. This encounter represents a crucial opportunity for both English clubs to secure qualification for the Champions League by lifting the trophy. The final will be played on Wednesday at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao.
Spurs are aiming to claim their first European silverware since 1984 and end a long domestic trophy drought stretching back to the 2008 League Cup. Manchester United, on the other hand, hopes to repeat their 2017 triumph in the competition. This final marks the second time the Europa League has featured two English teams.
Both sides are contending with various injury issues heading into the final, as acknowledged by their respective managers, Ange Postecoglou of Tottenham and Ruben Amorim of Manchester United.
Ange Postecoglou highlighted the significance of the fixture: “It is a great prize. You know the significance of Champions League qualification and what comes with it. You get to play against the best on the continent. But the club has been in the Champions League before, they have not won a trophy for a long time – so that is the most important thing.”
Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son is expected to start the final, having returned to the lineup recently and starting over the weekend. Postecoglou spoke highly of his captain`s importance: “He is so important to the group. He is so important as a leader and he is such an important figure at this football club. It would be great to cap his career off with a trophy for him.”
Regarding team news for Tottenham, midfielder Lucas Bergvall has been ruled out. Pape Matar Sarr is fit and available after recovering from a back problem. James Maddison is also unavailable. Several players are ineligible for the final, including Antonin Kinsky, Fraser Forster, Timo Werner, and former Manchester United fullback Sergio Reguilon. Additionally, Dejan Kulusevski joins Radu Dragusin and Dane Scarlett on the injury list and will miss the match on Wednesday.
On the Manchester United side, manager Ruben Amorim expressed pleasant surprise regarding the recovery of Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee. Amorim stated: “So they recover quite well. They push, of course, and we have to respect the feeling of the player but we push a little bit, as they wanted to be part of the team. That is a very good sign. Very good for us. Of course, they are limited in the minutes for the game but they can help us win the game.”
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted XI: Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr; Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke, Heung-Min Son.
Manchester United Predicted XI: Andre Onana; Victor Nilsson Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui; Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Patrick Dorgu; Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund.
