Your guide to the Europa League final

The Reds make a quick return to San Mames in Bilbao - the home of our semi-final opponents Athletic Club - aiming to secure the sixth major European triumph in our club’s storied history.

It’s been a disappointing campaign on the domestic front for both teams, but it could end in glory on the continental stage with victory in the Basque Country, in what is the sixth all-English European showpiece.

For the Reds, we will be striving to win some silverware for the third consecutive season, after our Carabao Cup success in 2023 and Emirates FA Cup triumph in 2024.

Here is all you need to know ahead of the titanic tussle…

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW

The final is being broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and discovery+ in the UK, with kick-off at 20:00 BST. If you reside elsewhere, please check local listings to see if the match is being shown wherever you are.

We will have extensive coverage building up towards the big game, including the travelling squad, so stay tuned across ManUtd.com and in the United App.

On matchday, MUTV will provide unrivalled build-up to the blockbuster occasion with four exclusive broadcasts from the city at 09:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 18:00 BST. Matchday Live will then follow at 18:30 BST, where you can get reaction to the team news as it breaks at 18:45 BST.

Whether you're watching, listening or on the move, the United App is the place to be during the game itself, with radio commentary, updates from inside the ground, expert analysis and trending live stats.

Short match highlights will also be available from midnight, with extended highlights and the full match replay to follow for MUTV subscribers. You can subscribe now here if you’re not already signed up.

WHAT’S THE TEAM NEWS?

Ahead of his first final as our head coach, Ruben Amorim had positive news on the injury front in the aftermath of Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Chelsea in the Premier League. He feels all the players emerged unscathed from the battle at Stamford Bridge - despite some anxious moments when the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Amad and Harry Maguire went down at various stages.

Ruben had chosen a strong team which showed five changes from the 2-0 home loss against West Ham - bringing in Andre Onana, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu and Casemiro. We were also boosted by the return of Ayden Heaven, who was brought on as a late substitute, and Toby Collyer, who made the bench, following their respective lay-offs.

Doubts remain over Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro after the defender’s recent injuries, while Diogo Dalot is facing a race against time to prove his fitness before the trip to the Basque Country. Jonny Evans has been back training but wasn’t in the squad to face Chelsea. Fellow centre-back Lisandro Martinez is still absent with a cruciate ligament injury.

Young forward Chido Obi is not eligible to play in the competition.

Meanwhile, Spurs will definitely be without three midfielders in Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee) and Lucas Bergvall (ankle).

Radu Dragusin continues his recovery from tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in January, but the Romanian defender is no longer eligible to play in the competition - along with Fraser Forster, Antonin Kinsky, Sergio Reguilon and Timo Werner, after they weren’t named in the club’s squad for the knockout stages.

It remains to be seen if Pape Matar Sarr will be involved after the Senegalese midfielder limped off during Friday’s 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa, with boss Ange Postecoglou saying afterwards his withdrawal was a ‘precaution’.

The left side of the attack could be Postecoglou’s main selection dilemma. Captain Son has only just returned from a foot injury as he vies for a starting berth with Richarlison - who started both legs of the semi final - and on-loan Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel.

WHAT AMORIM HAS SAID

In his Europa League final press conference, Ruben expressed his belief that the Reds will face a different challenge against Spurs, compared to other matches during our route to the showpiece.

“We'll play a different game,” he told journalists. “It's not the same to play against Real Sociedad, or even Lyon or Athletic Bilbao. It's going to be different. But we are prepared for that.

“The final is completely different, the context is different, the cup is there. We can see the cup. Even the last years with [Erik] ten Hag, with some problems, when they reach the final they were there. You guys know that. This team proved already that in the final they can step up and we know that."

FORM GUIDE

United and Spurs have had disappointing Premier League campaigns by their high standards and are languishing in the bottom half of the table.

Ahead of the final, both clubs have had roughly the same preparation time, after playing in the Premier League on Friday night.

The Reds were narrowly beaten after Marc Cucurella’s header clinched a 1-0 win for Chelsea in our final away league game of the campaign.

Despite going eight games without a victory in the league, we are the only club unbeaten in the three European competitions this season, and have also scored 12 goals in our previous three Europa League games.

Spurs have won just one of their last 11 league outings and lost five of the last six following their 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa. However, they have fared better on the European stage and are unbeaten in their last five Europa League matches, winning four of those fixtures on their way to reaching the final.

PAST MEETINGS

The sides have played each other 204 times since their first meeting in 1899. The Reds have enjoyed much the better of the fixture over the years with 96 wins to Spurs’ 57, while there have been 51 draws.

However, there is cause for recent optimism for Spurs, who are unbeaten in six games against United and have won all three previous clashes this season.

The Lilywhites ran out 3-0 winners at Old Trafford in September when our captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a red card which was later overturned. They also came out on top 4-3 in the Carabao Cup quarter-final in December at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where James Maddison netted the only goal in February’s league meeting against the injury-hit Reds.

HOW BOTH CLUBS REACHED THE FINAL

The Reds finished third in the inaugural Europa League league phase - one point behind winners Lazio and second-placed Athletic Club. After draws with FC Twente, FC Porto and Fenerbahce, United beat PAOK 2-0 and overcame Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in Amorim’s first home match in charge, before seeing off Rangers 2-1 and FCSB 2-0.

We got the better of Real Sociedad 5-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16 before edging past Lyon 7-6 over two legs in the quarter final, including the epic 5-4 victory after extra time at Old Trafford. United then executed a stunning 7-1 demolition of Athletic Club in the semi-finals to reach our third Europa League final in eight years.

Spurs, meanwhile, won five of their eight group-phase games - against Qarabag, Ferencvaros, AZ Alkmaar, Hoffenheim and Elfsborg - to progress to the Round of 16, where they overcame Dutch side AZ Alkmaar again 3-2 on aggregate.

The Lilywhites edged past German side Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 over two legs in the quarter finals before advancing past Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate in the semi finals.

EUROPEAN HISTORY

The Reds have won every European honour available in our long and successful history, since becoming the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968.

Our 2-0 victory over an Ajax side featuring current Reds Andre Onana and Matthijs de Ligt in Stockholm in 2017 completed our set and we will be hoping to replicate that triumph from 2017 in Bilbao.

The Reds will also be hoping to erase memories of our last Europa League final appearance in 2021, when we were agonisingly beaten 11-10 on penalties by Villarreal after a 1-1 draw. Five players who were part of our squad that night could feature on Wednesday - Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof all started, while Harry Maguire and Amad were on the bench.

Spurs, meanwhile, have reached their sixth European final - they have won three of the previous five, all of which came in the UEFA Cup.

The north London outfit are looking to secure a first trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008 and a first continental honour since 1984. Tottenham were last in a European final when they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in the Champions League showpiece in 2019 - which was the same year there was also a last all-English Europa League final, when Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1.

DID YOU KNOW?

United and Spurs have never met before in UEFA competition and have only met in one previous final - when the Reds were 4-1 winners on penalties to lift the League Cup following a goalless draw at Wembley. Jonny Evans played for United that day at the age of 21.

They will be looking to lift the Europa League trophy, which is the heaviest of all UEFA silverware at 15kg.

WHO ARE THE MATCH OFFICIALS?

German referee Felix Zwayer has been appointed by UEFA to take charge of the final. The 43-year-old’s experience on the international stage includes the 2023 Nations League final between Spain and Croatia, and the Euro 2024 semi-final between England and the Netherlands last summer.

The full officiating team is as follows:

Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany)
Assistant referees: Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz (both Germany)
Fourth official: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Reserve assistant: Daniele Bindoni (Italy)
VAR: Bastian Dankert (Germany)
Assistant VAR: Benjamin Brand (Germany)
VAR support: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)