Europa League Final 2024/25: History, Head-to-Head, Where to Watch, Team News & Players to Watch | OneFootball

Bilbao’s San Mames forms the backdrop for an all-English Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Wednesday’s showdown in Spain will be the first all-English showpiece in Europe’s second-tier competition since Chelsea humbled Arsenal 4-1 in 2019.

Ominously, Spurs fought Liverpool in a battle for Champions League glory only days later and lost 2-0.

Eager to live up to his pre-season promise, Ange Postecoglou is seeking a happier return to a European final as he bids to inspire Tottenham to their first continental honour since 1984.

Standing in his way are familiar foes Man Utd, whose immediate future likely depends on bringing home the Europa League trophy for the first time since 2017.

Ruben Amorim’s long-term prospects at Old Trafford are potentially on the line as the continent tunes in for a clash between the two lowest-ranked surviving teams in the Premier League.

Make or break

This fixture has all the makings of a history-defining game for Tottenham, who won the competition’s inaugural edition at the expense of Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1971/72.

History is not on their side, even though they became the first English club to win a UEFA competition when they overcame Atletico Madrid in the 1962/63 European Cup Winners’ Cup final.

Back in 2019, they lost their only previous all-English European showpiece on Spanish soil, while their last title in any competition dates back to 2008, highlighting the extent of the psychological pressure.

Spain has never been a happy hunting ground for the London outfit, as they’ve failed to win any of their previous seven visits to the Iberian country in UEFA competitions (D3, L4).

However, they’ve been impressive in the Europa League this season, setting a new club record for most games won in a single European campaign (nine).

A 5-1 aggregate win against Bodo/Glimt in the semi-final made them the most prolific team in Europa League history with 342 goals.

A 2-0 second-leg triumph in Norway saw them head into the final tied with Roma for most victories in this competition (97), meaning they can make history in Bilbao.

Is Amorim the man?

Old Trafford was in raptures when Man Utd announced Amorim’s arrival from Sporting CP in November, but the Portuguese manager has failed to meet expectations.

United’s indomitable run in the Europa League is the only bright spot, with the Red Devils becoming only the fourth team in competition history to reach the final unscathed (W9, D5).

Unlike Spurs, the Red Devils have fond memories of their only previous all-English final in a UEFA competition, as they squeezed past Chelsea on penalties in the 2007/08 Champions League season.

And unlike Spurs, they’ll look forward to contesting this high-stakes clash in Spain, where they’ve lost just once on their last nine visits (W5, D3).

Despite immense domestic struggles, United will touch down in Spain in high spirits, relying on their formidable record of just one defeat from their last 25 Europa League outings (W17, D7).

On top of that, only three teams in Europa League history have bettered Man Utd’s jaw-dropping tally of 35 goals scored this season, fuelling Amorim’s optimism ahead of this career-defining clash.

But the question remains – is he up to the task? This fixture will likely provide the answer.

Head-to-Head

It is debatable whether Man Utd deserve to be bookmakers’ pre-match favourites, especially considering how their recent meetings with Tottenham panned out.

James Maddison inspired Spurs to a narrow 1-0 home win in mid-February, helping Spurs complete their first-ever Premier League double over the Red Devils.

In addition, Postecoglou’s side dumped the Old Trafford club out of the League Cup in December to become the first team to beat them three times in one season since 2012/13.

It gets worse for United, whose winless run in this fixture now stands at six matches (D2, L4), including an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at the Theatre of Dreams in September.

Spurs have a historic opportunity to beat Man Utd four times in a single campaign for the first time and become the first side to achieve this feat since 1985/86.

Where to watch?

Fans in the United Kingdom can tune in for the Europa League final live on TNT Sports. Subscribers can stream the match online via the Discovery+ app or website.

Meanwhile, fans unable to watch the game on television but hoping to catch live action via streaming platforms can check out the Manchester United streaming sites for the best online experience.

Team News

Maddison, who decided the last encounter between Tottenham and Man Utd, is unavailable for selection, alongside Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall.

Pape Matar Sarr is still a doubt, but Heung-min Son’s return from injury will put a smile back on Postecoglou’s face.

United will be without star defender Lisandro Martinez and resurgent forward Joshua Zirkzee, while Diogo Dalot faces a race against time to return from a calf problem.

However, Matthijs de Ligt will likely be in contention despite his recent struggle with a knee issue.

Potential starting line-ups

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Bentancur; Johnson, Solanke, Richarlison.

Manchester United (3-4-3): Onana; Yoro, De Ligt, Maguire; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Diallo, Højlund, Fernandes.

Players to Watch

Heung-min Son

Spurs fans will put their dream of finally ending a gut-wrenching title duck into the hands of their captain.

The 32-year-old is set to make his 68th European appearance for Tottenham, which would see him surpass Harry Kane on the club’s all-time list.

He has racked up five goals and two assists in 20 matches against Man Utd in all competitions, but still lost over half of them (W7, D2, L11).

Bruno Fernandes

The former Sporting playmaker is the competition’s joint-top scorer this season, tied on seven goals with Ayoub El Kaabi of Olympiacos and Bodo/Glimt’s Kasper Hogh.

Fernandes is also the joint third-best goalscorer in Europa League history behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (34) and Radamel Falcao (30) with 27 goals.

The numbers speak for themselves, and it’s needless to waste words on his influence on Man Utd’s play.