THE 2025 Europa League final is laced with compelling narratives.
Tottenham and Manchester United will compete for the continent’s second-most prestigious trophy in Bilbao next Wednesday and the stakes are sky high.
Both teams have endured miserable domestic campaigns with Spurs currently 17th in the Premier League table and the Red Devils just one point better off in 16th.
The winners of the Europa League will salvage their season while the losers will be forced to reflect upon a disastrous year that may have significant consequences.
Then there’s the Dream Team angle.
Despite their persistent league woes, both Spurs and Man United have provided plenty of points throughout the season with their European adventures being a major contributing factor.
Just two Gameweeks remain before the fat lady sings and with fixtures at a premium, most engaged managers will be looking to target the Europa League final as a source of precious points.
Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim’s sides are two of just four teams set to pull double duty in Gameweek 36 and so there’s every chance the events in Bilbao will shape Mini League standings worldwide.
GAMEWEEK 36 DOUBLE HEADERS
- TOTTENHAM vs Aston Villa (a) & Man United (n)
- MANCHESTER UNITED vs Chelsea (a) & Spurs (n)
- CRYSTAL PALACE vs Man City (n) & Wolves (h)
- MANCHESTER CITY vs Crystal Palace (n) & Bournemouth (h)
First and foremost, Bruno Fernandes (£7m) has to be considered a must-have asset at this moment in time.
The Portuguese playmaker has racked up 425 points this season via 19 goals and 19 assists.
Only Mohamed Salah (£6.8m) sits above Fernandes in the overall rankings but United’s captain is in a league of his own among midfielders, a 106 points ahead of his nearest rival, Bryan Mbeumo (£4.6m).
There’s a chance the 30-year-old will be rested at Stamford Bridge on Friday night but he should still be considered a top target for Gameweek 36 given he averages eight points-per-game in 2024/25.
Deciding upon another viable Man United asset is far from straightforward.
Alejandro Garnacho (£3.5m) ranks 11th among Dream Team midfielders with 269 points to his name but the young Argentine winger is unpredictable.
It may be that Noussair Mazraoui (£3m) is the man to accompany Fernandes for gaffers who think the Europa League final will go the way of the Northerners.
Betting on a clean sheet for either side is fraught with danger but the Moroccan defender has an ace up his sleeve in his immense tackling ability.
Mazraoui has made 166 tackles in all competitions this season, comfortable the highest tally among all players – only two other players have registered more than 120.
This defensive effort has allowed him to collect 226 points despite United’s defensive frailties, enough to place him eighth in the rankings among players in his position.
In terms of Spurs options, Pedro Porro (£5.4m) deserves credit for his mammoth tally of 287 points as Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.4m) is the only defender who boasts a superior total after 35 Gameweeks.
The Spaniard has contributed four goals and TEN assists from right-back this term.
Furthermore, he has earned 51 bonus points, which makes him joint-leader in the metric alongside Youri Tielemans (£4.5m).
James Maddison (£4.4m) leads the way among his attack-minded team-mates with 272 points but the ex-Leicester midfielder has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.
Frustratingly, Dejan Kulusevski (£3.9m) is flagged as a doubt for Gameweek 36 having hobbled off after just 18 minutes against Crystal Palace last time out.
The Sweden international provided plenty of points earlier in the campaign but injuries have tanked his viability in the last two months.
And so it appears Dominic Solanke (£4m) is the best attacking threat for gaffers keen on Spurs.
The 27 year-old target man scored important goals against Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt to help his side reach the final of the Europa League.
Solanke averages a goal involvement every 128.8 minutes this season.
Alternatively, Son Heung-min (£4.3m) is available again having returned against the Eagles last weekend but his minutes are not guaranteed by any means.
One way or the other, the Europa League final will have a bearing on the business end of the Dream Team season.
