Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are fighting to rescue their seasons with critical victories in the Europa League semifinals. Both teams have aspirations of not only clinching a major trophy but also securing a spot in the prestigious Champions League via this competition.
In Spain, Manchester United triumphed over Athletic Bilbao with a decisive 3-0 win at the San Mames stadium. Meanwhile, Tottenham secured a 3-1 home victory against Bodo/Glimt, a club from Norway. Despite poor domestic performances, with both teams stuck in the lower half of the Premier League standings, success in the Europa League offers a glimmer of hope.
Manchester United demonstrated perhaps their strongest showing of the season, gaining a significant advantage in the two-legged tie against a ten-man Bilbao squad. Casemiro opened the scoring by heading in a cross from Harry Maguire in the 30th minute. Seven minutes later, Rasmus Hojlund’s advance was halted in the box, leading to a penalty after a VAR review, which Bruno Fernandes confidently converted. Before halftime, Fernandes added another goal, beautifully curling a shot past goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala.
Fernandes has had an outstanding season, with 19 goals and 16 assists across all competitions. This achievement is only surpassed by Mohamed Salah from Liverpool, who boasts 56 goal contributions. “I want to score goals, I want to be involved. I know one of my qualities is getting goals and making assists, so I just need to keep going,” expressed Fernandes.
The team from Manchester could have extended the lead further, with efforts from Noussair Mazraoui and Casemiro hitting the goal frame. The second leg will take place at Old Trafford, positioning United just 90 minutes away from possibly playing in Bilbao again for the final on May 21.
United’s European campaign contrasts starkly with their domestic struggles, where they are set for their lowest-ever Premier League finish. Sitting 14th in the league, their chance for a Champions League ticket lies exclusively through the Europa League. Manager Ruben Amorim, however, remains vigilant, acknowledging the threat from Bilbao. “They are really strong, they are really intense. We have our fans, but again, this could change,” Amorim cautioned.
On the other hand, Tottenham’s manager Ange Postecoglou remains optimistic. He is on track to uphold his tradition of securing silverware in his second season, as he has done with previous clubs like Brisbane Roar and Celtic. Despite a troubled season with 19 league defeats, the victory over Bodo/Glimt gives Postecoglou’s team a fighting chance.
The London club started fast, with a goal from Brennan Johnson in less than a minute, followed by James Maddison’s strike in the 34th minute. Dominic Solanke added a penalty to extend the lead to 3-0 before Ulrik Saltnes pulled one back for the visitors from Norway late in the game.
Postecoglou commented, “I don’t think the scoreline reflects our dominance, but at the end of the first leg, all you want is to be in a good position and we’ve got ourselves into a good position.”
In the UEFA Conference League, Chelsea added to the night’s success for English teams with a 4-1 win against Djurgarden in Sweden. Nicolas Jackson stood out by scoring twice. Real Betis also enjoyed a narrow 2-1 victory over Fiorentina, aided by a goal from on-loan Manchester United forward Antony.
These results reflect a promising playoff outlook for English clubs in European competitions this season.