Manchester United will have a better recovery time of 42 hours than Tottenham if the two clubs meet in this year's Europa League final. The "Red Devils" and Spurs are currently the leading candidates for the championship after both took the lead in the first leg of the semi-final.
Man United won an impressive 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao away. Casemiro's goal and Bruno Fernandes' double stunned Bilbao fans at San Mames. Meanwhile, north of London, Spurs won 3-1 against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.
The possibility of an all-English final is completely possible. If it happens, the two teams are scheduled to meet on May 21, coincidentally in Bilbao. However, the preparation of each side will be very different.
That is because Man United will have 5 days off before the final compared to 3 and a half days off for Spurs. The Red Devils' upcoming trip to Chelsea has been pushed forward, starting at 8pm on Friday, May 16 (local time). The reason is that the women's FA Cup final between the two clubs will take place on Sunday, May 18.
However, Tottenham are scheduled to play away against Aston Villa on Sunday, May 18, starting at two-thirds of the time (local time). Therefore, Spurs will have 42 and 15 minutes less time than Man United to prepare.
Both teams are going through a terrible Premier League season. They are 14th and 16th respectively when the Europa League becomes the only lifebuoy.
Luckily for coaches Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou, as they do not face the risk of relegation. Their campaign will be determined by their performance in Europe, with the real pressure to reach the Europa League final and lift the trophy in Basque country.
The "Red Devils" have more advantages in the semi-final, especially when the second leg takes place at home, while Tottenham will have to play away to complete their mission. Captain Ulrik Saltnes' late goal gave the Norwegian team a beacon of hope ahead of next Thursday's match.
"It's clear they scored late, which doesn't reflect our dominance in the game. However, if we repeat that achievement next week, it will be enough for us to continue.
I think the first leg put us in a good position. I think the players played excellently today. I think our performance was all that was needed, really well-organized and disciplined in defense. The players were also calm when attacking and creating good chances for themselves" - Postecoglou shared after the match.
Meanwhile, Amorim was cautious despite Man United having a 3-goal advantage after the first leg. "I think the players have to look forward to the second leg. And we had to think more about the first 20 minutes than we did for the rest of the game. The match will be really difficult.
anything can change. That is my message to the players. We have to think about Brentford on Sunday and then the second leg," Amorim said.
