Chijioke Gabriel
It will be fireworks at the city of Bilbao tonight when two frontline English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, battle in the Europa League final at the San Mamés Stadium.
Both teams will be hoping to win the trophy after a disappointing season in the Premier League, where the Red Devils sit 16th and Spurs 17th on the league table.
A win for either side will automatically book their place for next season’s Champions League, thereby making tonight’s clash mouthwatering.
Interestingly, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have faced off thrice this season, with the North London outfit winning each game.
Spurs qualified for the UEFA Europa League final by cruising to a 5-1 win over Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals. They had narrowly beaten AZ Alkmaar and Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous rounds, having finished fourth in the opening phase.
On the other hand, Manchester United eased to a 7-1 win on aggregate over Athletic Club in the semi-finals, robbing the Basque outfit of the opportunity to play the UEFA Europa League final at home. The Red Devils beat Lyon in the quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth but had no problems dispatching Real Sociedad in the round of 16. They finished third in the opening phase and are the only unbeaten team in Europe this season.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min has revealed that his close friend and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane will be cheering for Tottenham as their biggest fan during the Europa League final.
“Everyone knows Harry is my best mate, and it was a huge honour of playing alongside him. After he won his first title, we had a chat about his trophy,” Son told the media.
“He is already on holiday, so he doesn’t have to text me. I am just concentrating on myself with the boys and I’m sure Harry will be the biggest Spurs fan tomorrow and supporting us from his holidays.”
In the same vein, Manchester United veteran Christian Eriksen admits tonight’s Europa League final against Tottenham will be difficult for him.
“Yes, it’s a special match for me.
“I support Tottenham in everything, but not in this final. I know what I went through at that club. I had a lot of fun there, but we missed out on winning a title.”
An expectation that he hopes will last another season: “We have to focus on ourselves and win that cup. As far as I’m concerned, Tottenham can win a trophy next year.”
Meanwhile, fans of both clubs back in Nigeria are also looking forward to a scintillating encounter that will take their club from rock bottom to earning a premium spot in the Champions League next season.
The kick-off time is 8pm Nigerian time.
