Europa League Final: Can Spurs or United Salvage Their Season?
by Joseph King | by Cydias Aujard
Both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have officially had their worst Premier League seasons in club history. With that being said, Wednesday night in Bilbao will bail one of these sides out with a European title and a coveted spot in the 2025/26 Champions League while the other will have to bear the full weight of a truly disastrous campaign. As shown in our Tottenham vs Manchester United prediction, this match is likely to be hotly contested.
Spurs, who have two Europa League titles to their name, are seeking their first trophy since 2008 and first piece of European silverware since 1984. United, meanwhile, are looking to add a second Europa League title to their trophy room to go along with their three Champions League triumphs.
Tottenham’s head-to-head dominance this season
Despite coming into this contest as the underdogs according to the bookmakers, Tottenham may well fancy their chances given their impressive head-to-head results over Manchester United this season.
Premier League: Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham (27 August 2024)
A Bruno Fernandes first half sending off opened the way for Spurs to build on their 1-0 lead and completely dominate the Red Devils at Old Trafford, generating 4.59 expected goals and nine clear cut scoring chances en route to a 3-0 win.
- League Cup quarter-finals: Tottenham 4-3 Manchester United (19 December 2024)
Ruben Amorim’s first meeting against Tottenham as Manchester United manager. A number of defensive errors saw both sides combine for six second half goals. United arguably created the better chances but still suffered a 4-3 away loss.
- Premier League: Tottenham 1-0 Manchester United (16 February 2025)
The third meeting between these teams this season saw both teams fail to capitalize in front of goal. Tottenham ended a seven game home league winless run through an early James Maddison strike and ultimately deserved the three points in a 1-0 home win.
A final neither side can afford to lose
Not only will Manchester United and Tottenham be facing off for a European title on Wednesday, also on the line is an all-important place in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, as detailed in our Europa League predictions. The allure of playing in club football’s most prestigious tournament is a key factor for the top-tier clubs when it comes to attracting the world’s best talent. Additionally, the windfall that accompanies a spot in the Champions League provides a vital injection of cash. Failure to qualify would result in a much stricter transfer window in the summer.
According to reports, a decent run in the Champions League will see a team net upwards of £100 million. Both teams find themselves with sizable debt; Tottenham are paying off a new stadium, while Manchester United have been operating off of credit for a number of years now.
Both clubs are close to £1 billion in debt.
In fact, in the case of the Red Devils, there is a growing sentiment that this match represents one of the most important in the club’s history. While it may seem a bit odd to put that kind of label on a Europa League final, it’s borne out of the situation at the club over the past few seasons. Manchester United have been racking up the debt in the last few years and they owe around £300 million in outstanding transfer fees alone. In just the 2023-24 season, United are over £100 million in the hole (Spurs recorded a loss of £26 million during that same time) and have seen their total debt balloon to close to £1 billion.
Make no mistake, the trajectory of both clubs will be very different in the next few years should they miss out on Champions League football next season. This all works to create a fascinating subtext for this European final and adds incredibly high stakes to the picture.
