Man United and Spurs in the Europa League: What English Sides Will Achieve

On Thursday, January 30, the eighth matchday of the Europa League marks the final stage of the group round. Two English giants, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, have faced humiliation in the Premier League but hold strong chances of securing a direct spot in the Round of 16 in European competitions. In this text, we provide predictions for their final group matches, a look at their prospects in the tournament, and, of course, the best betting options.

Team to win Europa League

MU

9/2

Spurs

5/1

Man United to face FCSB

The Mancunians travel to face resilient Romanian side FCSB, who have won three of their last four games at Arena Naţională. Despite only one point separating the two teams in the group standings, Amorim’s squad remains the clear favorite in the eyes of bookmakers.

It’s hard to argue with that assessment. Manchester United are one of only three teams in the Europa League without a single defeat. True, they’ve only managed one away win in the tournament so far, but let’s not forget who their opponents were in the group matches — Porto and Fenerbahçe.

FCSB vs Man United: Who Will Win?

FCSB

4/1

Draw

11/4

Man United

11/20

United outshine FCSB in nearly every key statistic. However, the focus here is on their attacking performance, as the Red Devils need a win—and goals—to secure a direct spot in the Round of 16. They currently share fourth place for goals scored (14) and rank second outright in attempts (127). Rasmus Højlund has been a standout, netting five goals to top the competition’s scoring chart. Most importantly, United consistently hit the over 1.5 goals mark, doing so in 100% of their Europa League matches so far.

Man United Over 1.5

Bonus £40

Bet

3/5

André Onana is doing his best, but the fact remains: Manchester United concede in 86% of their matches. Considering that the Romanians score over 1.5 goals in two out of three games (well, almost), it’s unlikely we’ll see a clean sheet.

Both Teams to Score

Bonus £30

Bet

17/20

Manchester United's Prospects

The Red Devils are putting everyone’s nerves to the test—their own, the fans’, and their manager’s. In their last two matches, they pulled off late salvations: Fernandes rescued them against Rangers, while Lisandro Martínez did the same against Fulham. Amorim is rapidly graying, admitting that just a few months with his new team have aged him by ten years.

If not for Toby Collyer’s heroic save—clearing the ball off the line in the dying moments of the Fulham match—the Portuguese manager might have found his position under serious threat. Yet, he continues to work tirelessly, even skipping celebrations for his 40th birthday. Whatever the critics say, the results are there: Manchester United have lost only one match in January.

Manchester United’s Last 5 Matches

The Portuguese manager is strict with those unwilling to give their all, even in training sessions. He has publicly stated that Marcus Rashford, who hasn’t played since December, won’t see the pitch again unless his attitude changes. With his contract nearing its end, it’s possible the Englishman is already preparing to leave the club.

Marcus Rashford’s Next Club (September 2, 2025)

Barça

3/2

MU

2/1

Dortmund

3/1

Even without Rashford, Manchester United have plenty of aces up their sleeve. Under Amorim’s leadership, the team have significantly improved their pressing after losing possession. Their attacking focus, which we’ve already highlighted, is evident as the Red Devils rank in the top five of the Europa League for total attacks (279). The pressure they exert is also reflected in their corner count—46 in 7 matches, the second-highest in the competition.

From the outset, United were the top favorites to win the Europa League. After all, they still carry the “genetic memory” of their 2016-17 triumph. Incidentally, the only player remaining from that squad is Rashford. Tournament experience and their elite status have maintained their position as favorites, even though Lazio and Athletic Bilbao had far more convincing group-stage campaigns.

Man United to Win Europa League

Bonus £50

Bet

9/2

There’s no doubt among bookmakers that the Red Devils will advance to the knockout stage. With odds of around 1.01 on MU to finish in top 8, they haven’t been wrong once in the last five years when it comes to group-stage progression.

Tottenham Hotspur: One step away from Round of 16

In true British solidarity, Tottenham Hotspur have scored and conceded the exact same number of goals as Manchester United. Clearly, Postecoglou’s side isn’t lacking in attacking firepower. In fact, they trail United by just one point. But the two teams’ journeys could hardly be more different. Spurs opened their campaign with three straight wins, only to endure an equally long winless streak, which finally ended in the previous match against Hoffenheim.

At home in this season’s Europa League, Spurs remain unbeaten, conceding just two goals. Meanwhile, their Swedish opponents, Elfsborg, are among the league’s worst in attack—ranking 20th for goals scored (9) and dead last for total attacks (150). Only Viktoria Plzeň have earned fewer corners than Elfsborg. Kinsky won’t be facing much pressure in this matchup.

Elfsborg Under 0.5

Bonus £50

Bet

7/10

One of the five least fouling teams in the league, with barely any yellow cards, Tottenham finds itself among the top three for red cards (2). Yes, we’re talking about Spurs. Considering the chaos surrounding the team, a fun bet on a red card might have been worth a look—but frustratingly, bookmakers aren’t offering anything interesting this time. Still, judging by the match against Qarabag, even going down a man wouldn’t stop Spurs from beating an inferior opponent.

Injuries continue to plague the squad, yet even without Solanke and Werner, there are players capable of finding the net. There’s Maddison, Richarlison, and, of course, Son Heung-min, who’s bagged three goals in the last four matches.

Heung Min Son to score anytime

Bonus £30

Bet

9/10

Tottenham’s Prospects

Despite all their struggles in the Premier League—including 8 losses in their last 10 matches and an embarrassing 15th place—Tottenham remains a formidable force in European competitions. As we’ve previously noted, if their tournament curse is ever to be lifted, the Europa League seems the most likely stage for it to happen.

Bookmakers are even more confident about Postecoglou's team reaching the Europa League Round of 16 than they are about Manchester United—there's not even a market for this outcome. It seems clear that Tottenham will prioritize the Europa League this season.

However, this plan could be derailed by the potential sacking of the Australian manager. If the club’s leadership runs out of patience with their plunge toward the bottom of the Premier League table, heads may roll. Bookmakers have already released odds for Tottenham’s next manager, with Brentford’s current boss, Thomas Frank, emerging as the early favorite.

Next Permanent Tottenham manager - Thomas Frank

Bonus £40

Bet

11/2

Of course, even with a mid-season managerial change, winning a European trophy remains possible. There have been several examples of this in just the last five years:

• 2020-21 Season: Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard at Chelsea in January 2021 and went on to claim the Champions League title, defeating Manchester City in the final.

• 2019-20 Season: Hansi Flick took over from Niko Kovač as Bayern Munich’s head coach in November 2019 and led the team to Champions League glory, overcoming Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Interestingly, the odds for both Manchester United and Tottenham reaching the Europa League final are almost identical. However, United remains the favorite in the title race, largely due to Tottenham's psychological barrier and the infamous “nearly men” stigma.

Tottenham to Win Europa League

Bonus £30

Bet

5/1