European Football: English final in the Europa League

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have reached the final of the Europa League in England. Following a 3-0 victory in the first leg against Athletic Bilbao, the Red Devils also beat the Spanish side 4-1 (0-1) in the second leg. Tottenham won 2-0 (0-0) against the Norwegian surprise team, FC Bodö/Glimt. The final will take place on May 21 (9 p.m./RTL) in Bilbao, with the winner of the match securing a Champions League spot.

For both, it's a great opportunity to salvage a disastrous season. The clubs currently sit 15th and 16th in the Premier League. In Manchester, the hosts initially controlled the game – until defender Harry Maguire misplaced a pass. A few seconds later, Mikel Jauregizar put the visitors ahead (31'). In the second half, however, Mason Mount (72', 90'+1'), Casemiro (79'), and Rasmus Höjlund (85') turned the game around.

Bodø, the first Norwegian club ever to reach a European semifinal, pushed for the opening goal in front of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Sverre Magnus, but instead Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke put the visitors in front in the 63rd minute. Shortly thereafter, Pedro Porro scored the decisive goal in the 69th minute. The only previous all-English finals in the Europa League or its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, had been in 1972 (Tottenham vs. Wolverhampton) and 2019 (Chelsea vs. Arsenal).

Title favorites Chelsea FC comfortably advanced to the final of the Conference League . The London club won their home game against Swedish underdogs Djurgardens IF 1-0 (1-0) thanks to a goal from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the 38th minute. The London club had won the first leg 4-1. The final opponent was initially unclear, as the match between Fiorentina, for whom Robin Gosens had come from a 1-0 deficit to make it 2-1 after 90 minutes, and Real Betis went into extra time. There, Fiorentina missed out on reaching the Conference League final for the third time in a row: Abde equalized in the 97th minute, which clinched the title for Sevilla after their 2-1 first-leg win.