After 31 Premier League rounds, Manchester United are sitting in lowly 13th position, with mere 38 points and a ‘negative four’ goal-difference. They are currently 15 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, while Newcastle could make that 18 points should they win their game in hand.
With mere 37 goals scored, UNited are behind even the likes of Wolverhampton, who are the first team above the relegation zone. While 41 goals conceded is not as bad – considering Man City have conceded 40 and so much praised Nottingham Forest are at 37, this all paints a grim picture for Ruben Amorim’s ide.
But as we know, Manchester United could still qualify for Champions League football next season. The only caveat is – they must repeat the 2016-17 season and win the Europa League. With the Devils ready to take on their first quarterfinal match this Thursday, it is worth taking a look how realistic it is for United to win the European trophy.
First Up – Lyon
In order to get closer to the big goal, Manchester United first need to eliminate Olympique Lyonnais, or just Lyon. Jorge Maciel’s team is not doing too great this season, but it is much better than last term, when they were threatened by relegation before finishing sixth in Ligue 1. Currently, they are fifth with a realistic chance to overtake Strasbourg or even Monaco and return to Champions League football.
They are pretty much beating all the teams below them in the league, while in Europa League they were sixth with just one loss, to Besiktas. They defeated Olympiacos, Rangers, Qarabag and Eintracht, with a number of these teams still remaining in the competition. Alexandre Lacazette, former Arsenal star, as well as Georgian Georges Mikautadze, have been two of their best players, with 14 goals in all competitions. This matchup will also be a reunion with former Man United midfielder Nemanja Matić.
This is a tricky team, but one United could definitely get past.
Spaniards Lurking In The Semis
Should United get past Lyon, they will play against the winner of the tie involving Athletic Bilbao and Rangers. It is clear it is the Spaniards who are the favourites to go through. Athletic were historically doing well in this competition and they know how to eliminated Man United. That is exactly what happened in 2012, when they won both matches against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Devils.
United often have problems against Spanish sides, with Sevilla eliminating them in 2020 and 2023 Europa League knockout rounds, Villarreal defeated them in the 2021 final, while Atletico Madrid got past them in their last ever Champions League knockout tie. Rangers, on the other hand, have their own qualities, but United already defeated them 2-1 at Old Trafford this season.
Who Can Get To The Final?
And finally, should United get past the next two rounds, there would still be the final to play. In the quarterfinals on the opposite side of the bracket, Tottenham Hotspur will play Eintracht Frankfurt, while Lazio will face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt. The first tie is definitely a stronger one, but Lazio finished top of the league stage with 19 points from possible 24 and they might have their say as well. Whatever we all might think of United’s chances of winning the Europa League and how likely that actually is to happen, it is the only way for the Devils to not only play in the Champions League next season, but to have any European football at Old Trafford.
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