Following successful first legs in the Europa League semifinals, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are aiming to secure their places in the final. Both clubs will play their return matches on Thursday against Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt, respectively.
The English sides hold a significant advantage after dominant first encounters: United secured a 3-0 away win in Bilbao, while Spurs won 3-1 at home against Bodo/Glimt. This makes them clear favorites to reach the final. Nevertheless, this situation could motivate Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt to deliver outstanding performances in an attempt to keep their Europa League hopes alive.
The teams that advance will meet on May 21 at Bilbao`s San Mames Stadium, with the winner earning a spot in next season`s Champions League.
First leg scores
- Athletic Bilbao 0, Manchester United 3
- Tottenham Hotspur 3, Bodo/Glimt 1
What Manchester United are saying
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim remains cautious despite a comfortable 3-0 aggregate lead going into the second leg. He expressed uncertainty about which version of his team would show up on Thursday, noting that sometimes players “lose their minds” during a match.
Amorim believes that to reach the final, his team will need to score and potentially “suffer” during the game. He also emphasized that the absence of three key players for Athletic Bilbao, including top scorer Oihan Sancet and the Williams brothers, doesn`t change his team`s approach: “For us, this is a top Athletic team. It doesn`t matter that it`s hard for them to play without key players, it doesn`t matter for us. We have to go out there and try to win.”
What Tottenham Hotspur are saying
Spurs` advantage heading into the second leg is slightly smaller (3-1), but they are also just a step away from the final. This again raises the question that has haunted Tottenham for years: can they finally end their 18-year trophy drought, and will this change the perception of the club?
Head coach Ange Postecoglou believes that winning the tournament would render some of the negative narratives surrounding the club irrelevant, as building a winning culture begins with victories themselves. According to him, a trophy would give confidence to the entire club, but he emphasized that they first need to get through “a big game” to reach the final.
Furthermore, Spurs will not be at full strength: Son Heung-min missed the match due to a foot issue, while James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall are out for the rest of the season. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario noted that the team is used to dealing with such difficulties, and the entire squad will be crucial.
Postecoglou also commented on the debate about whether the Europa League winner should get a Champions League spot (hinting at criticism, possibly from Arsene Wenger). He defended the current rule, stating that people are trying to “diminish” Spurs, and questioned why this issue has become relevant now, rather than before.
Dominic Ashworth