Europa League Final Trophy. Credit: Instagram @europaleague
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will go head-to-head in the 2025 UEFA Europa League final tonight, Wednesday, May 21, at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao.
While both teams have endured underwhelming domestic seasons, the high-stakes final offers a lifeline: Europa League glory and a spot in next season’s Champions League.
The final comes as both clubs try to salvage poor Premier League campaigns. Tottenham and Man United have finished the 2024–25 season in 17th and 16th place – their worst non-relegated finishes since the league’s inception.
Supercomputer predicts winners of tonight’s Europa League Final
Ahead of the match, Opta’s supercomputer simulated the final 10,000 times, predicting a razor-thin outcome:
- Tottenham win in 50.3 per cent of simulations
- Manchester United win in 49.7 per cent
‘The supercomputer has brought into the projection that Wednesday’s all-English final will be a tight and cagey affair with little to separate the two teams,’ reports Sports Illustrated.
A separate forecast by AceOdds, cited by the Daily Mail, predicted a 3–2 Tottenham win, which would secure the club’s first trophy since 2008.
Spurs may take confidence from their dominance over United this season, having won all head-to-head games this term. That includes a 3–0 win at Old Trafford, when Erik ten Hag was still in charge.
Current Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, who guided the team past Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodø/Glimt in the knockout rounds, has previously expressed his second-season ambitions. Back in September, he said he “always” wins a trophy in his second season (Cited by Sports Illustrated.)
Injury concerns for both sides
Injuries could play a crucial role in the final.
Tottenham’s absentees include:
- Dejan Kulusevski: Subbed off injured vs Crystal Palace on May 11
- James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall: Ruled out for the rest of the season
- Son Heung-min: Doubtful due to an ankle injury
- Radu Dragusin: Out since February with an ACL rupture
Manchester United’s injured player:
- Leny Yoro, the teenage French centre-back, limped off during United’s recent loss to West Ham at Old Trafford.
Still, Man United boss Rúben Amorim was cautiously optimistic:
“He had that problem at the beginning of the season. We hope it’s not too serious… maybe it’s not a big deal,” Amorim told Sky Sports, cited via Daily Mail.
Despite Man United’s erratic season, Bruno Fernandes has been a standout. The Portuguese playmaker remains the team’s best hope of controlling the game.
What’s at stake in Bilbao tonight
Beyond lifting the Europa League trophy, the winner will secure automatic entry into the 2025–26 Champions League, offering a financial and reputational boost that neither club can afford to pass up.
Will Opta’s supercomputer prediction prove to be correct?
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