On Wednesday, May 21, at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will have one last opportunity to salvage their disappointing seasons by winning the UEFA Europa League and securing a spot in next season’s Champions League. Spurs, currently sitting 17th in the Premier League, reached this final after finishing fourth in the single-round group stage, right behind Manchester United, with a record of 5 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. In the knockout rounds, Postecoglou’s men eliminated AZ Alkmaar with a 3-2 aggregate in the Round of 16, then defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, they comfortably overcame Bodo/Glimt, winning 3-1 at home and 2-0 in Norway. Apart from a scare against Frankfurt, Spurs’ European campaign has been relatively smooth, giving them a chance to win their third Europa League title (formerly UEFA Cup) after victories in 1972 and 1984. The Red Devils, sitting 16th in the Premier League, had a similar group stage, finishing third with 5 wins and 3 draws. In the Round of 16, Ruben Amorim’s side demolished Real Sociedad, but the turning point came in the quarter-finals against Olympique Lyon, where they overturned a two-goal deficit in stoppage time to reach the semi-finals. There, they cruised past Athletic Bilbao with a dominant 7-1 aggregate victory. Back to the Bilbao final: both teams will give it their all to lift the trophy and secure a Champions League spot, potentially redeeming an otherwise forgettable season. The loser, however, will have to quickly move on from one of the worst campaigns in recent memory.

Tottenham Hotspur Recent Form and Key Stats

After booking their place in the Europa League final, Tottenham took their foot off the gas in the Premier League, suffering back-to-back 2-0 defeats against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. Postecoglou has largely fielded second-string players in recent matches to protect the starters from injury.

In their last five league games, Spurs have recorded 2 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, with an average of 1.2 goals scored and 1.2 conceded per game.

Across this Europa League campaign, Tottenham have collected 9 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in 14 matches, scoring 27 goals and conceding 13 – an average of 1.93 scored and 0.93 conceded per match. Dominic Solanke leads Spurs in scoring with 5 goals in the competition. They've lost just once in their last 10 Europa League matches.

Manchester United Recent Form and Key Stats

Like their opponents, Manchester United have had their sights set on the Europa League final for some time. Following their semi-final victory over Athletic Bilbao, they suffered a 2-0 defeat to West Ham and a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the league.

Unlike Postecoglou, Amorim has continued to field many of his regular starters, partly due to a long injury list. Key absentees for the final include Matthijs de Ligt (doubtful), Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee, and Lisandro Martínez (all ruled out).

United remain unbeaten in the Europa League so far, with 9 wins and 5 draws in 14 matches, scoring 35 and conceding 18. Bruno Fernandes has been the standout performer, leading the competition with 7 goals. The Red Devils have lost only 1 of their last 25 Europa League fixtures.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United Prediction and Tactical Overview

Both Tottenham and Manchester United have made it clear that winning the Europa League is their number one objective. The recent poor form in the Premier League means little, as both squads have been conserving energy ahead of the Bilbao showdown.

When it comes to motivation, both sides are fully invested. However, Manchester United might have a slight edge for two key reasons: first, they come into the final undefeated in the tournament; and second, they have greater experience in high-stakes finals, having won this competition in 2017 and the FA Cup last year.

For these reasons, the Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United prediction, as calculated by the BetMines algorithm, gives the Red Devils a slight advantage to win the final in regular time.

• Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United prediction prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts 1 at 34%.
  
  
• Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United prediction prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts X at 22%.
  
  
• Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United prediction prediction of the BetMines algorithm predicts 2 at 44%.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United Predicted Lineups

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Bentancur; Johnson, Solanke, Son. Manager: Postecoglou

MANCHESTER UNITED (3-4-2-1): Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Yoro; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Diallo, Fernandes; Hojlund. Manager: Amorim