What’s in a Game? Thoughts on the Europa League Final | OneFootball

When asked if a Europa League final victory could save Manchester United’s season, manager Ruben Amorim responded: “Nothing can save our season.”

Amorim’s high standard may be out of reach, but the boardroom and upper echelon of Manchester United will certainly disagree. This is a club that recently announced more layoffs and a backyard barbecue celebration instead of an open-top bus parade. Man U must be salivating at the automatic Champions League bid a Europa victory would bring, particularly as that qualification translates to several million pounds of revenue, plus more for each match and successive phase reached.

And on the other side? Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglu has stated multiple times how important this tournament is. Stopping short of mentioning how tenuous his position currently is, the worst-kept secret in football at this moment is that Ange coaching this match for his job.

Big Stakes

The stakes couldn’t be higher for a single match, particularly one between two English clubs currently seated 16th and 17th in the league table. Both are safe from relegation, but with an embarrassingly low point total for teams that consider themselves “Big Six.”

For United, the season has been a write-off after Amorim came in midseason for Erik ten Hag. All results have been somewhat of a “free hit” for Amorim, the board and the fans giving leeway for a new manager implenting a new system with old players.

As for Tottenham, whose season has been riddled with misfortune, it’s hard to blame Postecoglu for rotating nearly his entire team for Premier League matches. Even with this tactic, they still haven’t been able to avoid the injury bug, with Dejan Kulusevski going down in one of the recent “meaningless” Premier League games.

Manchester United have not been free from injuries either this season, but should have most of their key players available, namely Bruno Fernandes, club captain and stalwart fixture in nearly every game for the club. A surprising late-season comeback for Mason Mount is an intriguing addition to a United side that has struggled to find goals in England, but has scored the most goals and posted the highest xG throughout the Europa League competition.

Tottenham Hostpur and “Angeball” has been criticized quite a bit this season for only playing one way, and while that narrative has stuck, it hasn’t been wholly true. In their first leg against Bodø/Glimt in the semifinals, Ange surprisingly selected Yves Bissouma and Richarlison. These changes allowed Spurs to play a much more direct game, launching balls forward and dominating with their superior size and athleticism rather than overloading the attacking areas and leaving themselves exposed in defense.

What To Expect: Destiny vs. Prophecy

So what kind of match can we expect from the final in Bilbao on Wednesday? It’s hard to imagine Postecoglou reverting back to his original all-out Angeball, especially with all of Spurs’ central creative players out injured: Maddison, Bergvall, and Kulusevski. On the other side, can Manchester United keep up their goal-scoring form in the Europe? Amad Diallo returning is a massive lift, but will it be enough against a Spurs side that is finally healthy, at least in defense? Despite our prior misgiving about Angeball, Tottenham have only conceded 13 goals from 14 games in the tournament. Either way, the final should be tight and low-scoring; both teams sensing the enormity of the occasion.

When Manchester United came from behind to win against Lyon in extra time at Old Trafford, reviving the moniker “The Theatre of Dreams,” it seemed destined the Red Devils would lift this trophy. But that destiny is squaring up against a prophecy from a man who has nothing left to lose. Because in nearly all of his managerial appointments to date, according to Ange Postecoglu, “(he) always wins a trophy in his second season.”

It will be destiny versus prophecy Wednesday night in Bilbao. The future of two “Big Six” clubs could in the balance. And for the rest of us? Pure entertainment.