Manchester United will face Tottenham in the final of the Europa League in a fortnight, with Gary Neville already growing nervous with a huge amount of stake for the Red Devils
Gary Neville has backed Manchester United to win the Europa League, though admitted he will be nervously watching the final through his fingers. United face Tottenham in the showpiece event in Bilbao on 21 May.
The Red Devils smashed Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals to set up their first European final since 2021, when they lost to Villarreal on penalties. United last won the Europa League back in 2017 under Jose Mourinho.
Current boss Ruben Amorim is hoping to squeak into the Champions League by winning the same competition. But first they will have to beat Spurs, who have already claimed three wins against them this season across the Premier League and Carabao Cup.
Ange Postecoglou’s side eased past Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt in their semi-final clash. But they have lost influential midfielder James Maddison to injury for the rest of the campaign.
And Neville is confident his former side will come out on top in Bilbao in a fortnight. But he admitted that will be a nervous watcher, with a huge amount at stake for the Red Devils.
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“Roy Keane called it a great game the other day,” Neville told BBC Sport. “That is what Roy would think. My mentality is different. I was a right-back. You know the only thing you can do is lose your team the game.
“Unless you are Trent Alexander-Arnold, you are unlikely to win your team a game as a right-back. It is a huge game. The consequences are massive. I have a sickly feeling in my stomach about this game as a United fan purely because of what is at stake. But I am confident.
” Manchester United have an uncanny knack, even in difficult times and bad times – and this has been a really bad season – of picking up trophies. That is not a bad habit to have as a football club. They still get to finals and do things even though the league form has been awful – and it has been a terrible season.”
Boss Amorim was delighted to see United see off Bilbao, but admitted it will mean nothing if they do not beat Spurs. He said: “I’m stressed already because of the final, because if you don’t win it, in the end, it’s nothing. So, we are happy to be there. Let’s see.
“I think it’s going to be a really good game. A little bit emotional because both teams are struggling a lot in the Premier League and want to win something. Two teams who play in the same league and know each other.
“It means a lot, not just to us but also for Tottenham. It means a lot, not just for me but also for Ange [Postecoglou], after this season. It’s a massive game and I know it’s going to be tough for the people in Bilbao because they wanted to play in the final at home.
“For all of our squad, it’s really important to give something to our fans this season. First of all, if you in the odds, it’s hard for a club to lose four times in a row, so we can’t think in that way. I think we have to have a full squad, that is really important.
“In the moments, I’m just worried about the next game, to try to manage everything, not to get injuries for the final. But again, we need to win it. If we don’t win it, it’s nothing, it means nothing for us, so let’s see.”
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