The Europa League final is set, with Ajax gearing up to face Manchester United. The match has huge repercussions, as the winner will earn an automatic bid to the Champions League.
Both clubs held off furious comeback attempts from Lyon and Celta Vigo, respectively, on Thursday. Below, we’ll break down the schedule and offer a preview and prediction for the upcoming final.
When: Wednesday, May 24 at 3:45 p.m. ET
Where: Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Jose Mourinho has basically put all of his Champions League eggs in the Europa League basket, and he’s one win away from being vindicated for doing so. He defended the approach, keeping his players fresh for the Europa League and resting some of them during the Premier League schedule before Thursday’s match, per Mike Whalley of The Telegraph:
“It was completely impossible since the moment we lost players. We lost Chris Smalling and Phil Jones with the international team and [Marcus] Rojo and Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] against Anderlecht. After that we lost good alternatives, [Luke] Shaw, Ashley Young, Tim Fosu-Mensah. When we lost those it was an impossible job.”
“It was not a gamble, it was just a consequence of our situation. We are in this situation and we have to fight for it. Let’s see if we can do it. It doesn’t matter what happens, no regrets. We are giving everything we can, the players and myself. When you give everything, no problem.”
On paper, United has the most talent in this matchup. Despite being without Ibrahimovic—the team’s top scorer and arguably its best player, period—United can still lean on a talented lineup led by Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford, among others.
More importantly, the Red Devils are generally excellent on defense. They’ve given up just 27 goals in Premier League play, behind only Tottenham (23), and have bought into Mourinho’s defensive, counter-attacking style.
They’ve given up just seven goals in the Europa League, holding Celta Vigo to just one goal over their two semifinal fixtures (and winning 2-1 on aggregate). It hasn’t always been pretty, but Mourinho’s men have continued their charge through the Premier League.
Don’t be surprised if the manager’s gamble pays off and they earn an automatic bid to the Champions League.
Ajax, meanwhile, was always expected to advance due to a 4-1 aggregate lead on Lyon coming into Thursday, and the legendary club handled its business, winning 4-3 on aggregate. It was no small feat for a team that is incredibly young, with seven of the players in the lineup for the first leg 21 or under.
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