Europa League Final Preview: Manchester United vs Villarreal

Manchester United will bid to end the 2020/21 season on a high note by lifting the Europa League trophy in Gdansk on May 26.

The Red Devils face a Villarreal team that has defied the odds to progress to their first-ever major European final under ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery.

United are favourites with Betway online sports to clinch their first silverware under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following an impressive campaign in the Europa League.

Solksjaer’s side entered the competition at the knockout stage after finishing third in their group in the Champions League.

They subsequently eased past Real Sociedad, AC Milan and Granada, before being paired with Roma in what turned out to be a high-scoring semi-final encounter.

United recorded an 8-5 aggregate victory over the Serie A side to progress to the Europa League final for the second time in five years.

With Champions League qualification already secured for next season, the pressure is off United heading into the clash with the La Liga outfit.

However, they will be desperate to secure some silverware to cement the progress they have been making under Solskjaer over the past few months.

The United boss has a major worry ahead of the game, with Harry Maguire suffering ankle ligament damage during the recent victory over Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old faces a race to be fit for the final, although Solskjaer has confirmed that he is hopeful that Maguire will recover.

The centre-back has been a key performer this season and his presence in United’s backline would undoubtedly boost their hopes of success.

His availability could be crucial for United against a team that have won 12 of their 14 matches in this season’s Europa League.

Emery’s side drew the other two games to highlight how foolish it would be to underestimate their chances of upsetting the Betway88 odds.

Villarreal breezed through the opening phase of the competition, before defeating RB Salzburg, Dynamo Kiev, Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal to reach the final.

Having guided Sevilla to win the Europa League on three occasions, Emery knows what it takes to get the job done in UEFA’s second tier tournament.

His front pairing of Gerard Moreno and Paco Alcacer could cause United plenty of problems, particularly if Maguire is forced to miss the final.

The two clubs have met on four previous occasions in the Champions League in 2005 and 2008, and all four games ended up goalless.

That is unlikely to happen this time around, with both teams boasting plenty of players who can unlock opposing defences.

United will rightly fancy their chances of lifting the trophy having already defeated two La Liga clubs on their way to the final.

The Red Devils have lost just three of their last 17 matches outside Manchester in the Europa League, while they remain unbeaten on the road in the Premier League.

Villarreal have done well to reach the final, but we fancy United to confirm that Betway88 are justified in making them the favourites for success.