All-English Final in Sight

MANCHESTER, WEDNESDAY – A final between English clubs in the Europa League could be repeated if Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United defeat their opponents in the second leg of the semifinals, on Friday (9/5/2025) early morning WIB. This all-English final would echo the final of 1972, which was then called the UEFA Cup, when Hotspur defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers with an aggregate score of 3-2.

In the first match of the semifinal round, on Friday (2/5/2025) early morning WIB, Hotspur won with a score of 3-1 against Bodo/Glimt in London, while MU triumphed 3-0 over the home team Athletic Bilbao. With this victory and a significant goal difference advantage, the chances of Hotspur and MU advancing to the final are very high.

For MU and Hotspur, who are currently struggling at the bottom of the English League, advancing to the final and then becoming champions is their main target at this time. Only by winning the Europa League can one of them qualify again for the Champions League for the upcoming season.

Breaking into the Champions League will be a valuable asset for a team to secure substantial funding from sponsors and television broadcasting rights, as well as an attraction to entice star players to join them in the upcoming season. Such capital is crucial for MU and Spurs, who are near the relegation zone.

Hotspur will visit Aspmyra Stadium in Bodo, Norway, to play their second match. Their dominant performance during the match in London serves as valuable moral support for the Lilywhites players. A quick goal from Brennan Johnson, followed by goals from James Maddison and Dominic Solanke, reinforced Hotspur's advantage in the first match.

In the second match, Hotspur only needed a draw, or even a loss by no more than one goal, to advance to the final round. In order to achieve a good result while playing at home against Bodo, Hotspur was willing to sacrifice the match against West Ham, which ended in a 1-1 draw last weekend.

At that time, Hotspur's manager, Ange Postecoglu, did not play Maddison and Solanke to prevent both from injury. Maddison and Solanke are expected to return to peak performance when facing Bodo.

Hotspur will return to playing an attacking game to score first. An early goal will add pressure on Bodo and make it difficult for them to recover. Johnson, Solanke, and Richarlison will once again be relied upon to break down Bodo's defense.

Despite having a two-goal lead, Postecoglu does not want to underestimate Bodo. Bodo is a very strong team when playing at home. The players of Bodo possess high discipline and excellent stamina, which can pose challenges for Hotspur.

"I think the score does not reflect our dominance. However, at the end of the first match, we found ourselves in a good position," said Postecoglu to UEFA.com.

The Hotspur players also do not want to underestimate the match against Bodo. A two-goal deficit can still be equalized by Bodo if the Hotspur players do not compete with the same spirit as in the first match.

"It's nice to have the lead but we know there are still tough games ahead. The job is not done yet," Solanke said.

From Bodo's side, the goal scored by Ulrik Saltnes in London gives them a glimmer of hope for a comeback. Chasing a two-goal deficit is certainly easier than chasing a three-goal deficit.

"That goal gave us a glimmer of hope because if we had fallen behind 0-3, it would have been too great a deficit," said Kjetil Knutsen, the coach of Bodo.

Knutsen promised a very tight match when hosting Hotspur. The stadium will be filled with Bodo supporters, and they will be striving to make a comeback.

Meanwhile, MU's path to the final will be more comfortable. MU won 3-0 against Athletic Bilbao away from home. In the second leg, MU will host Bilbao at Old Trafford Stadium.

Goals from Casemiro and two goals from Bruno Fernandes made the team coached by Ruben Amorim difficult for Bilbao to catch up. However, Amorim does not want to assume that his team is guaranteed a place in the final.

"We have the advantage and support of the supporters. However, all of this can change. Anything can happen in a match," said Amorim.

MU is set to regain ball possession dominance to prevent Bilbao from developing their game and seeking revenge. The defense will be strengthened to stop Bilbao from scoring multiple goals and equalizing the aggregate score.

Like Hotspur, MU also has several key players sidelined and sacrificed the match against Brentford, resulting in a 3-4 defeat last weekend. Now, MU will return to play with a 4-3-3 formation, relying on Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alejandro Garnacho in the front line.

MU player Amad Diallo, who has recently recovered from injury, is expected to receive more playing time in this match. If he can perform optimally, Diallo could be a game-changer in the upcoming match as the winger is capable of making quick penetrations and delivering dangerous crosses into the goal area.

On the other hand, Bilbao promised to fight tooth and nail until the last second to turn things around.

"It is clear that we had a very poor result in the first match, but we must continue to play. We will not give up even though we know we are heavily disadvantaged," said Ernesto Valverde, the coach of Bilbao.