Son Heung-min (Tottenham)'s first trophy challenge begins again.
Tottenham Hotspur will face Manchester United on the stage of the 2024-2025 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Europa League (UEL) final.
Tottenham and Manchester United will clash on the 22nd (Korean time) at San Mames in Bilbao, Spain.
This final holds symbolic meaning for both teams. Tottenham is challenging for a major tournament title for the first time in 17 years since the League Cup in 2008, while Manchester United aims to reclaim the title after 8 years since winning the Europa League in 2017.
Tottenham showed stable performance against Norway's FK Bodø/Glimt in the semifinals. They first celebrated a 3-1 victory at home in the first leg, and won 2-0 away in the second leg, advancing to the final with an aggregate score of 5-1.
Manchester United was also formidable. They staged a dramatic comeback victory against Olympique Lyon in the quarterfinals and defeated Athletic Bilbao in the semifinals to secure a ticket to the final.
Especially, coach Ruben Amorim has been highly regarded for his solid defense and tactical flexibility in this tournament.
The Evening Standard presented a predicted scenario ahead of the final. The Evening Standard noted, "Tottenham has won all three recent matches against Manchester United and has not lost to them since October 2022," emphasizing Tottenham's advantage in head-to-head records.
However, considering coach Amorim's strength in big matches, Manchester United may have a slight advantage, predicting a close 2-1 victory for Manchester United.
Football statistics firm Opta's prediction is similar. Opta evaluates Manchester United's winning probability at 50.7% and Tottenham's at 49.3%, forecasting an extremely close match between the two teams.
For Son Heung-min, this final is more crucial than ever. Despite having played nearly 10 seasons with Tottenham and leaving numerous individual records, the trophy has remained out of reach.
He has reached the final stage three times but has faced disappointment each time. He finished as runner-up in the Premier League in the 2016-2017 season, as runner-up in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League in the 2018-2019 season, and as runner-up in the League Cup in the 2020-2021 season, unable to overcome the final hurdles.
Son Heung-min recently moved up to first place in the club’s all-time assists record, achieving a historic milestone; however, he expressed a desire to "exchange this record for a trophy."
However, there are variables that remain. There are still league fixtures left before the final, and injuries or changes in condition in the remaining two matches could affect the final's dynamics. In particular, if key players get injured, it could significantly impact strategy and tactics.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that this is Son Heung-min and Tottenham's most realistic chance for a title. While Manchester United is a formidable opponent, considering recent head-to-head records and team atmosphere, it is a battle that can certainly be competitive.
Whether Son Heung-min can lift the trophy he has so longed for is drawing the attention of football fans around the world to San Mames.
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