When German referee Felix Zwayer signals the start of the Europa League final at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium on Wednesday, Manchester United fans around the world will be on the edge of their seats for what is expected to be a pulsating 90 minutes of football.
United have endured a disappointing campaign in the Premier League this season, occupying the 16th position with only one game remaining in what has been marked as their worst-ever Premier League campaign.
The English powerhouse, however, has had contrasting fortunes in domestic and European competitions this season, as despite their topsy-turvy league campaign, they remain the only unbeaten team in European competitions this season.
Your 2025 #UEL finalists
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— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 8, 2025
The Red Devils kicked off their 2024-25 Europa League campaign under the tutelage of Dutch tactician Erik ten Hag, playing out a 1-1 draw against Eredivisie club Twente at Old Trafford last September.
They salvaged another 3-3 draw away at Porto, as despite being down to 10 men, Harry Maguire’s header in second-half stoppage time was enough to ensure they remained unbeaten.
With results not forthcoming in the league and mounting pressure on Ten Hag in the new Europa League format, United failed to win any of their opening three games, with another 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce on the cards for the 2016-17 champions.
A shake-up was needed in the dugout, and it came with club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy replacing fellow Dutchman Ten Hag, who was shown the door at Old Trafford after an abysmal start to the season, on an interim basis.
The team looked revigorated, and their fortunes soon changed, claiming their first win in the competition thanks to a brace from Amad Diallo in a 2-0 victory over PAOK on 7 November.
Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim took the reins four days later and led them to four straight wins against Bodo/Glimt, Viktoria Plzen, Rangers and FCSB. United scored nine goals in that stretch, securing a third-place finish in the competition’s league phase while maintaining an unbeaten record.
However, United’s domestic struggles continued as Amorim looked devoid of answers against Premier League oppositions, yet they looked a possessed side in Europe, continuing to carve out positive results without their usual finesse and poise.
On came the knockout phase, and United were drawn against familiar foes Real Sociedad—a side they had met four times previously in the competition—with many believing they had hit the end of the road.
The first leg in San Sebastian ended in a 1-1 draw, but Amorim’s men turned on the style at Old Trafford a week later, easing to a 4-1 victory that booked their place in the quarter-finals.
Up next was a date with French giants Lyon, who boasted one of the tournament’s best players in Rayan Cherki. Two howlers from Andre Onana denied United a win in France as they settled for a 2-2 stalemate.
The return leg at Old Trafford on 17 April was a spectacle—nine goals were scored, including a dramatic flurry of three in the final seven minutes of extra time as United rallied to a 5-4 win despite initially throwing away a two-goal lead in arguably the match of the tournament.
The landmark victory seemed to mark a turning point for United, but two winless games in the league dampened their mood ahead of a tough semi-final against Athletic Bilbao—the best defensive team in La Liga and one of the competition’s favourites.
United, however, weathered the Bilbao storm, cruising to a 3-0 win at San Mames before sealing a 4-1 rout at Old Trafford a week later to comfortably secure their spot in the final.
With only Tottenham standing in their way to another European title, United must dig deep and draw inspiration from their previous performances in the competition, as failure to return to Old Trafford with the trophy might spell doom for the club financially and ruin their momentum for next season.
