Two teams have been determined to compete for the UEFA Europa League (UEL) trophy. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will clash at the highest level of the tournament.

On the 9th, UEL announced through its official website, "The 2024-2025 season UEL will conclude with the final match featuring English teams at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain. Tottenham will face their Premier League rival Manchester United in the final. Both teams have previously lifted the trophy. Tottenham won in 1972 and 1984, while Manchester United won in 2017."

The highly anticipated UEL final will be held on the 22nd at Athletic Bilbao's home ground, San Mamés Stadium. Similar to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final, it will be a single-elimination match, and if the score is not decided within 90 minutes, extra time will be played. If there is still no winner in extra time, a penalty shootout will determine the owner of the trophy. The UEL trophy weighs a remarkable 15 kg, making it the heaviest of UEFA's championship trophies.

The winning team of the UEL will also be granted a spot in the next season's UCL. Coincidentally, Tottenham and Manchester United are ranked 16th and 15th, respectively, in the Premier League, making it impossible for them to compete for UCL qualification. However, they advanced in the UEL and will face off for a UCL ticket.

This is the sixth time in history that English teams have faced each other in the final. It is the third time for Tottenham in the club's history. Tottenham defeated Wolverhampton in the final of the UEFA Cup, a predecessor of the UEL, in 1972 and finished as runners-up against Liverpool in the UCL final in 2019. Manchester United won against Chelsea in the UCL final in 2008 after a penalty shootout.

On the same day, Tottenham defeated Bodo/Glimt (Norway) 2-0 in the away second leg of the 2024-2025 season UEFA Europa League (UEL) semifinals held at Asmira Stadium in Bodo, Norway.

Tottenham, who won the first leg 3-1 last week, played a pragmatic style of football. They focused on not conceding rather than aggressively pressing, even while applying front pressure. Bodo, with its home advantage of being located in the Arctic Circle and having an artificial turf, struggled to exert its strength against Tottenham.

Tottenham finished the first half without conceding and took the lead in the 63rd minute with a goal from Dominic Solanke. During a corner kick, Cristian Romero jumped high to head the ball down, which Solanke connected with a diving shot to score.

A lucky second goal followed. In the 69th minute, Pedro Porro attempted a cross from the right. However, the deflected ball hit the opposite goalpost and was sucked into the net. Porro celebrated by performing James Maddison's "dart ceremony," who is sidelined for the season due to injury, dedicating the goal to his teammate. The match concluded with a 2-0 victory for Tottenham.

At the same time, Manchester United defeated Bilbao 4-1 in the home second leg of the 2024-2025 season UEFA Europa League (UEL) semifinals held at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

With this, Manchester United advanced to the final with a total score of 7-1 over Bilbao. They seized the advantage with a 3-0 away victory against Bilbao last week and completed the comeback victory at home, showcasing an overwhelming performance.

The start was somewhat shaky. Manchester United conceded the first goal when they failed to stop a wonder goal from Mikel Oyarzabal in the 31st minute of the first half. Additionally, Alejandro Garnacho missed a perfect one-on-one opportunity in the 43rd minute, allowing for a chase and ending the first half.

However, there were no surprises. Manchester United turned the game around, starting with a equalizer from Mason Mount in the 71st minute, followed by goals from Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund. In addition, in the stoppage time, Mount scored a sensational multi-goal, capping off a perfect day.

Now Tottenham and Manchester United will meet in the final. Both teams are equally eager for the championship. To end the worst season on a happy note, winning the trophy is the only answer.

In particular, if Tottenham can defeat Manchester United, it will be their first victory in 17 years since winning the League Cup in the 2007-2008 season. Captain Son Heung-min will also win for the first time in his career, breaking free from the title of being trophyless. He has reached the UCL and League Cup finals before but lost in all of them, shedding tears.

The moment Son Heung-min lifts the trophy while wearing the Tottenham jersey is also a long-held dream of his. In August of last year, he stated, "I still don't think I'm a legend of this team. I have said that I want to win something with Tottenham. If that happens, I could be very happy to be called a legend."

Manchester United is aiming for their UEL victory after eight years. Since winning the UEL in the 2016-2017 season under head coach José Mourinho, they have not reached the top of European tournaments again. They are also seeking the club’s second UEL title under Portuguese manager Rui Patricio.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), ESPN FC, Sky Sports, Mirror, UEL social media.

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