It all comes down to this. The penultimate game of a largely forgettable season could be a defining one for Manchester United. A defining one for Ruben Amorim. A defining one for the INEOS regime.
A wretched Premier League campaign could well be salvaged by the club’s Europa League exploits, with the Red Devils capturing the spirit of days gone by to embark on a rollercoaster ride on the continent. This is no team of ’68, ’99, or ’08, but right them off at your peril.
From the outset, this has been an enthralling surge to the showpiece, be it the dramatic last-gasp equaliser from Harry Maguire to snatch a point against Porto, or Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage-time strike to see off Rangers.
In the knockout phase, in particular, the Old Trafford side have sparked a sea change in emotions, from a penalty-ridden triumph over Real Sociedad, to a surprisingly serene victory over Athletic Club in the last four.
Sandwiched in between was arguably one of the great nights that the Theatre of Dreams has witnessed, with Kobbie Mainoo and Maguire coming up trumps at the death to see off ten-man Lyon. Only United can conjure up moments like that.
For such a win to ultimately prove in vain would be deeply disappointing, with Amorim now tasked with picking a side capable of seeing off fellow top-flight bottom dwellers, Tottenham Hotspur, at San Mames.
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As journalist Samuel Luckhurst noted, this is the first time this season that the former Sporting CP boss named more than the typical 21 players in his travelling squad, with there perhaps a sense of cup final kidology in place with the Portuguese coach keeping his cards closely to his chest.
With the aforementioned Fernandes and Maguire taking on pre-match media duties alongside Amorim, the experienced pair look almost certain to start later today, with that central spine likely to be added to by Andre Onana and Casemiro.
The positions surrounding that quartet are likely to be up for grabs, however, with the 40-year-old’s options potentially enhanced amid the surprise return of Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee to training this week.
The latter duo had looked set to miss the rest of the campaign through injury, although they could now play their part in Bilbao, even if Amorim hinted that their minutes would be limited.
One man who was absent from proceedings was Matthijs de Ligt, thus throwing into doubt his involvement against Ange Postecoglou’s side, with fellow former Ajax man Lisandro Martinez also still a long-term absentee.
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Excluding that pairing, Amorim appears to have a wealth of options at his disposal, leaving something of a selection headache to ponder – not least over who should start in the two number ten berths.
Who should start at number ten for Man Utd vs Spurs
There is an argument to be made that the centre-forward position could be set for change, with it perhaps time to contemplate dropping the misfiring Rasmus Hojlund to the bench, in favour of a false nine experiment.
That tweak could see Fernandes take on that role, while the 30-year-old could also drop into a deeper berth as part of a midfield two, with Amorim needing to decide whether he needs the defensive duo of Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro against an injury-hit Spurs midfield.
If Fernandes is to be needed elsewhere, then the number ten roles will be a straight fight between Mainoo, Mason Mount, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, with the middle duo having been given the nod against Chelsea on Friday night.
That may have been with the final in mind, although with United having again failed to fire at Stamford Bridge, Amorim may need to think again, with Mount seemingly needing to give way for the lively Garnacho.
With Amad – who came closest to scoring against the Blues – almost a nailed-on starter off the right, it would be an exciting prospect to unleash the Argentine on the opposite side, the pair notably netting in the 4-3 defeat to Brentford earlier this month.
GK
Andre Onana
RCB
Leny Yoro
CB
Harry Maguire
LCB
Luke Shaw
RWB
Noussair Mazraoui
CM
Casemiro
CM
Bruno Fernandes
LWB
Patrick Dorgu
RAM
Amad Diallo
LAM
Mason Mount
ST
Rasmus Hojlund
Mount, to his credit, has enjoyed a resurgence of late after also scoring against the Bees, followed by his brace against Athletic Club, although those latter strikes did come off the bench, with it still yet to be seen if he can last the full game.
The Englishman does boast the experience of starting in this 3-4-3 formation in the Champions League final and European Championship final back in 2021, although he has rarely looked like that player for United, having scored just four goals in 44 games since his arrival in 2023.
Garnacho, meanwhile, has regularly delivered the goods in recent years despite his at times erratic finishing. Indeed, while still yet to turn 21, the wing wizard has scored 11 goals and provided ten assists in all competitions this term.
So often United’s “game-changer” – as per Luckhurst – the former Atletico Madrid starlet is such a relentless, direct threat for Amorim in the final third, having chipped in with four assists and one goal in the Europa League in 2024/25.
Yes, he has missed 20 ‘big chances’ in Europe and the top-flight combined, although the 20-year-old is a player who makes things happen in the final third, be it from the start or from the bench.
Starting Mount in his place still feels a real risk considering his injury woes and relatively recent return to action, while a partnership of Garnacho and Amad could have Spurs on the back foot from the off.
In any case, Amorim does appear to finally have attacking options to select from, with now the time for bravery, rather than pragmatism.
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