TOTTENHAM and Manchester United will meet in Bilbao on Wednesday for a Europa League date with destiny.
The Premier League strugglers both hold a golden opportunity to salvage their season by seizing glory in Spain.
Languishing 17th and 16th in the Prem respectively, Spurs and United have endured woeful league campaigns.
But several omens suggest that it could be a glorious end to a difficult season for either side.
TOTTENHAM
It’s been well documented that Spurs have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.
Ange Postecoglou has come under fire for his side’s awful league campaign.
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But Juande Ramos and George Graham being Tottenham’s most recent trophy-winning managers suggests that it’s not necessarily their best or most popular bosses that can get them over the line.
Spurs can also take heart from seeing teams on far longer trophy droughts than them breaking their ducks.
In March, Newcastle upset the odds to beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final – earning their first silverware since lifting the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.
And just last week, Italian side Bologna won the Coppa Italia – beating AC Milan 1-0 in Rome to end a 51-year wait for a trophy.
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Former Tottenham hero Harry Kane recently won the Bundesliga at the second time of asking, scoring 26 goals along the way to earning the first trophy of his career.
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Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash
Most recently, Crystal Palace upset Manchester City in the FA Cup final to lift the first major silverware in their entire history.
It’s been the season of fresh trophy winners – and Spurs will be hoping to join the party by earning their third Europa League triumph, having won its former iteration, the Uefa Cup, in 1971 and 1984.
MAN UTD
The Red Devils’ mid-season managerial change is yet to bear fruit.
Erik ten Hag oversaw a dismal start to the campaign and was sacked following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham in October.
In came Ruben Amorim, but the 40-year-old has managed to mastermind just six victories in 26 Premier League matches at the helm.
Ahead of Wednesday night, however, United fans can cling to what happened the last time that they won the Europa League.
The Red Devils beat Ajax 2-0 in Stockholm eight years ago, courtesy of goals by Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
On that occasion they were managed by a Portuguese in Jose Mourinho, who had replaced a sacked FA Cup-winning Dutchman in Louis van Gaal.
Amorim is a Portuguese boss and replaced sacked Dutchman Ten Hag, who lifted the FA Cup last season…
Speaking of Mourinho, the former Man Utd boss won his first European trophy on May 21, 2003 – at the age of 40 years, three months and 24 days.
Tomorrow’s final will also take place on May 21, with Amorim just one day younger than Mourinho was.
In addition to this, United’s rivals Manchester City last went trophyless in 2017.
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By losing to Palace on Saturday, Pep Guardiola’s side were condemned to their first season without silverware since the 2016-17 campaign.
United fans will be hoping that these omens can work in their favour come Wednesday night.
Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
