Have Manchester United suffered their worst-ever season in the Premier League? Yes. Could they still qualify for the 2025-26 Champions League? Yes.
To say that Ruben Amorim has not had the desired effect since taking over from Erik ten Hag would be a gross understatement, but amid all of their Premier League problems, the Red Devils can still conquer the continent in the Europa League.
Wednesday sees the 20-time English champions pit their wits against fellow Premier League crisis club Tottenham Hotspur at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, where the victor will earn a golden ticket to next season’s premier tournament in Europe.
Ahead of the showpiece contest, Sports Mole takes a closer look back at Man United’s previous record in Europa League and UEFA Cup finals.
1. 2016-17 Europa League final | Ajax 0-2 Manchester United
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Slightly similar to the 2024-25 campaign – albeit not to the same disastrous extent – Man United concluded a topsy-turvy 2016-17 season with Europa League stardom on the line in Stockholm, where Ajax stood in their way of glory.
Silverware aficionado Jose Mourinho could only muster a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League, but he had delivered a trophy in the shape of the EFL Cup and soon clinched the ultimate prize in the form of Champions League qualification.
Even with chief marksman Zlatan Ibrahimovic unable to tackle his former club on account of a knee injury, Man United had one of their other star names to thank early doors, as Paul Pogba‘s 20-yard effort took a significant deflection and wrong-footed future number one Andre Onana.
Peter Bosz‘s Ajax had no response before the half-time whistle blew, and Mourinho’s men effectively ended the game as a contest early in the second 45, as Chris Smalling knocked down a Juan Mata corner for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to poke in with an improvised flick.
There was time for Wayne Rooney to make a final emotional appearance for the Red Devils in Europe in stoppage time, before the Manchester and Merseyside icon hoisted the trophy aloft with his friends at the Friends Arena.
2. 2020-21 Europa League final | Villarreal 1-1 Man United (a.e.t, Villarreal win 11-10 on penalties)
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Falling to Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig’s superiority in the Champions League group stage, Man United atoned for those failings in the Europa League knockout rounds, conquering all of Roma, AC Milan, Real Sociedad and Granada en route to Gdansk.
There, a Villarreal side managed by Europa League expert Unai Emery were waiting to pose a stiff test, and a stiff test it proved to be for the Red Devils, who fell behind to Gerard Moreno‘s scruffy finish from a Dani Parejo free kick just before the half-hour mark.
However, a couple of lucky bounces later, Edinson Cavani pounced to restore parity for the Red Devils after Marcus Rashford sent a long-range strike crashing into a sea of bodies, triggering 30 additional minutes and eventually one of the most engrossing penalty shootouts in European history.
No fewer than 21 perfect spot kicks sailed into the back of the net, as all 20 outfielders held their nerve before Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli found the top corner with aplomb.
David de Gea sought to replicate his opposite number, but Rulli swapped footwork heroics for handwork heroics, diving low to his left and keeping out the Spaniard’s strike as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s side suffered an excruciating 11-10 shootout defeat.
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