A closer look at Manchester United's route to the Europa League final
Manchester United will attempt to win a sixth European title when they take on fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham in the Europa League final.
Here, we take a look at how they made it to the Bilbao showpiece on May 21st.
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Group stage: Man Utd – third of 36 teams, 18pts
The 2024/25
#UEL
league phase ✅
pic.twitter.com/BGnoQwzie1
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague)
January 30, 2025
United made an inauspicious start to the new-look group phase under Erik ten Hag, whose former club Twente secured a shock 1-1 Old Trafford draw in September. Harry Maguire's late goal saw the 10-man Red Devils record a 3-3 draw at Porto the following month, before Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce held them to a 1-1 stalemate in Turkey. After Ten Hag was sacked, interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy oversaw the end of United's 380-day wait for a European win by beating PAOK 2-0 at Old Trafford, where Ruben Amorim took charge for the first time in the hard-fought 3-2 triumph against eventual semi-finalists Bodo/Glimt. United followed that up with 2-1 wins away to Viktoria Plzen and at home to Rangers, before rounding things off with a 2-0 victory over FCSB in Romania as they avoided the knockout phase play-offs.
Last 16: Real Sociedad – 1-1 (a); 4-1 (h); 5-2 on aggregate
Enough said.
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— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
March 13, 2025
Absentee-hit United failed to turn a positive performance into victory in San Sebastian, where Joshua Zirkzee put the visitors into a deserved lead only for Mikel Oyarzabal to level from the spot with the hosts' first shot on target. The VAR spotted a handball from Bruno Fernandes, whose second-leg hat-trick inspired an eye-catching comeback win against 10-man Real Sociedad. Oyarzabal's second penalty of the tie had given United a scare, before the captain's treble and a Diogo Dalot effort.
Quarter-finals: Lyon – 2-2 (a); 5-4 (AET) (h); 7-6 on aggregate after extra-time
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Andre Onana endured a nightmare first leg in France, where his war of words with Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic was followed by him all-too easily allowing in a Thiago Almada free-kick. Leny Yoro and Zirkzee put United ahead, but the under-fire goalkeeper parried the ball into the path of Rayan Cherki to level in stoppage-time. A scarcely-believable second leg followed at Old Trafford. Manuel Ugarte and Dalot first-half efforts had United in control, only for the visitors to score four without reply. Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico goals in quick succession took the match to extra-time, when Lyon kicked on despite Tolisso's sending off for two bookable offences as Cherki and Alexandre Lacazette rocked the home side. But Amorim's men dug deep as a Fernandes penalty was followed by Kobbie Mainoo's excellent 120th-minute leveller and Maguire's match-winning header moments later.
Semi-finals: Athletic Bilbao – 3-0 (a); 4-1 (h); 7-1 on aggregate
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The Premier League side sealed their place in the final by overcoming Bilbao, whose San Mames stadium was stunned as Amorim oversaw a famous away win. Athletic flew out the blocks in the first leg but imploded after Casemiro put United ahead in the 30th minute, with Fernandes keeping his cool to score from the spot after Dani Vivian saw red for bringing down Rasmus Hojlund. The nerveless captain added another before the break to complete a 3-0 victory for the Red Devils, who bounced back from Mikel Jaureguizar's brilliant opener in the reverse fixture. Substitute Mason Mount settled nerves through his fantastic turn and finish, with Casemiro and Hojlund scoring before the United midfielder scored a stunner from distance.
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