Cliff Notes – Manchester United Tottenham on brink of Europa League final
- Manchester United secured a commanding 3-0 victory against Athletic Club, with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice, enhancing their chances of a major trophy and Champions League qualification.
- Tottenham Hotspur triumphed 3-1 over Bodo/Glimt, with goals from Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke, keeping their hopes alive for a first UEFA Cup/Europa League final appearance since 1984.
- Both teams are currently struggling in the Premier League, positioned in the bottom half, but their Europa League performances could salvage their disappointing seasons.
Manchester United, Tottenham on brink of Europa League final
The rescue act is on for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Big wins for both teams in the Europa League semifinals on Thursday kept alive their hopes of lifting a major trophy and qualifying for the Champions League — salvaging their respectively woeful seasons in the process.
United beat Athletic Club 3-0 at San Mames in Spain with Bruno Fernandes leading the way with a pair of goals and Tottenham won 3-1 at home against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt as Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke all got on the scoresheet.
In the end, it was possibly United’s finest performance of the season and gives them a commanding first-leg lead over Athletic Club.
Casemiro headed Ruben Amorim’s team in front in the 30th minute after a cross from Harry Maguire. Seven minutes later, Rasmus Hojlund was brought down in the box by Dani Vivian and a penalty was awarded after a VAR review. Vivian was shown a red card for the foul and Fernandes converted from the spot.
Fernandes got his second and United’s third in the 45th by running through on goal and curling a shot past goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala.
United’s win could have been even more emphatic with Noussair Mazraoui and Casemiro both hitting the woodwork.
The second legs will be played next Thursday, with United hosting Athletic Club at Old Trafford and Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs away to Bodo/Glimt. The final is set for May 21 at San Mames, the site of United’s big win on Thursday.
Both United and Spurs have endured miserable domestic campaigns and are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League. But European club soccer’s second-tier Europa League could yet put a happy ending on a season filled with disappointment.
Tottenham are looking for a first UEFA Cup/Europa League final appearance since winning the title in 1983-84 and first final in the UEFA Europa League era. Spurs made the Champions League final in 2018-19, losing to Liverpool.