3 months ago
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MANCHESTER, England (AP):
For Manchester United or Tottenham, a miserable campaign will end in Europa League glory.
Despite both teams languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League, the Champions League is now just one game away.
That is the reward on offer after the two troubled English clubs advanced to the final of Europe’s second-tier competition yesterday.
United beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the semi-final second leg at Old Trafford and won 7-1 on aggregate. Tottenham won 2-0 away at Bodø/Glimt to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.
It sets up an all-English Europa League final for the second time in six years after Chelsea beat Arsenal to lift the trophy in 2019.
United came back from 1-0 down against Bilbao, with Mason Mount coming off the bench to score twice in the second half. Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund were also on target.
Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro struck for Tottenham against Bodø/Glimt in Norway.
The final is in Bilbao on May 21.
A major title, alone, would be enough to salvage what has otherwise been a season to forget for both United and Spurs. But the added prize of a place in the lucrative Champions League would put the winners back among Europe’s elite next term.
That hasn’t looked likely for either team for most of the campaign as they have languished closer to the relegation zone than the top five.
United are 15th in the standings having lost a club record 16 games in the Premier League. It is also certain to record its worst-ever points total in the modern era as well as its lowest finish.
For Tottenham, it is even worse — sitting one place below United after a club record-equalling 19 losses in the Premier League.
Now, one of those teams has the chance to effectively erase their woeful domestic form by winning the final, which will be the fourth time they have faced each other this season.
Spurs won all three of the previous encounters — twice in the league and also in the English League Cup.
Chelsea advanced to the final of the Conference League after beating Djurgården 1-0 in the second leg of their semi-final encounter yesterday. The Premier League club advanced 5-1 on aggregate over their Swedish opponents. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored yesterday’s winner for Chelsea in the 38th minute.
In the final, Chelsea will meet Real Betis, who got past Fiorentina 4-3 on aggregate. The teams went to extra time tied at 3-3 on aggregate with Abde Ezzalzouli scoring the deciding goal for the visitors in extra time.
English (US) ·