Ange Postecoglu’s Tottenham Hotspur are Europa League champions after edging Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United with a 1-0 win at the San Mames in Bilbao on Wednesday night.
The win in Spain’s Basque region gives Spurs a slot in next season’s UEFA Champions League with what is the North London club’s fourth European title and first since 1984 when the Europa League was known as the UEFA Cup.
Both teams started the contest at a high pace, looking to find an early breakthrough and ultimately, win major silverware which would serve as great consolation for their respective disappointing Premier League season.
But neither side was able to fashion a clearcut chance and looked destined to head down the tunnel still level when Spurs took the lead four minutes before the half-time whistle.
A cross from the left by full-back Destiny Udogie was flicked on by Brennan Johnson, with the ball bouncing off United’s Luke Shaw and trickling beyond an outstretched Andre Onana’s reach into the net.
United came out for the second half with more intent and should have levelled the scores in the 68th minute when Guglielmo Vicario made a mess of an attempted clearance from Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick, with Rasmus Hojlund’s goal-bound header acrobatically cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven.
Fernandes was next to come close for United four minutes later when the Red Devils skipper found himself in acres of space after losing his marker to meet Noussair Mazraoui’s cross into the Spurs six-yard, only to send his diving header wide.
From there on, Spurs stayed resolute with their defending as the Red Devils became more desperate to get back in the game. Shaw had a chance to make up for the own goal six minutes into stoppage time, but his header was pushed away by Vicario.
United still laid siege on Spurs and hit the net a minute later, the side-net off Casemiro’s overhead kick, which proved the last kick of the game as the Lilywhites roared in celebration at a first trophy in 17 years and qualification to the UCL.