Why Manchester United Will Win the Europa League
By Ross Jackson
For large parts of the 2019/20 season Manchester United’s best (perhaps even, only) avenue of Champions League qualification looked to be via Europa League success.
However, with a place in Europe’s premier competition already booked thanks to an improbable but welcome third-placed Premier League finish, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men can approach their semi-final clash with La Liga outfit Sevilla knowing their primary objective for the season has already been secured.
With less pressure on them heading into their last four clash, United can play with freedom and express themselves, something which has brought the best out of Solskjaer’s side this season.
The Red Devils sat in seventh place in the Premier League in early February, with their dreams of Champions League football beginning to fade. However, with their season goal seemingly out of reach, United looked like a completely different team playing free-flowing, attacking football.
They would go undefeated for the remainder of the Premier League campaign, notching 30 goals in their final 13 games.
Of course, while the burden of a top-four finish being lifted is one explanation for United’s upturn in form - there's also the small fact they signed one of the best midfielders on the planet.
In Bruno Fernandes, United boast the top scorer in this season’s Europa League and by far the best player remaining in the competition. Nobody could have foreseen the impact he’s had on United since his arrival, transforming them from an inconsistent side to one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Premier League.
Not only has the Portugal international’s arrival added some much-needed drive and spark to the United midfield, it’s also brought the best out of a whole host of the rest of the squad.
Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matić and Anthony Martial all of a sudden look completely different players, with the emergence of exciting young talent Mason Greenwood arguably the other highlight of United’s season.
So the Red Devils have got the goals in the team to fire them to Europa League glory, but can they keep them out?
Yes, David de Gea has looked suspect again this season, and if the club are serious about becoming Premier League challengers once again an upgrade on Victor Lindelof is probably needed. However, that’s not to say they’re a defensive wreck.
While the Liverpool backline has received innumerable amounts of praise for their solid displays this season, United conceded just three more than them in the league, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire looking quality additions to what had looked a shaky defence.
While Solskjaer’s first full season at the club is likely to have already been adjudged a success by the United hierarchy, the importance of claiming his maiden piece of silverware at the helm won’t have escaped the Norwegian.
Although the Red Devils tasted Europa League success as recently as 2017, the side who triumphed under Jose Mourinho was a much different side to the current crop.
Mourinho’s United always seemed like a side that was just ‘getting by’, with attractive football overlooked in place of results. However, Solskjaer’s United have the sense of a side that could build something special at Old Trafford, and a first trophy in the cabinet could spell the beginning of a fruitful spell for the club.
The three other teams remaining in this season’s competition all pose their own individual threats, however, they pale in comparison when compared to the squad at Solskjaer’s disposal.
While Inter are arguably United’s biggest threat, Antonio Conte’s side have fallen short on numerous occasions in crunch Serie A matches this season. Though they finished just a point behind champions Juventus, in truth they would have been much further behind had Juve not taken their foot off the gas once the title was won.
Semi-final opponents Sevilla have enjoyed a very strong finish to the domestic campaign, and though they have previous winners of the competition in their ranks, United also boast more than their fair share of Europa League winners - as well as a smattering of former Premier League and World Cup champions.
The underdogs of the final four are undoubtedly Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. Luís Castro’s men have looked solid in the later rounds of the competition since dropping out of the Champions League, though a United side full of creativity and firepower should prove too strong should the two meet in the final.
Solskjaer’s first full season in charge at Old Trafford hasn’t been without its challenges, however, since the arrival of Fernandes United look a different team, and with Portugal midfielder in their ranks the Red Devils will be confident they can sign off the season in style.
Plus, if any games go to penalties they've had a decent bit of practice.