“Every game has its history …”
Manchester United -boss Ruben Amorim said these words when he was asked about the prospect of playing Tottenham in the Europa League final -a team that the Red Devils has already defeated three times this season.
But the question is, will their recent history matter when it comes to who wins the trophy – and that crucial Champions League place?
Sky Sports News reporter Danyal Khan looks back to the previous games between the two parties this season and wonders what can be learned from them.
Spurs Domination was another ten hag nightmare
Perhaps the performance of the performance will be the most encouragement of the season against United, an extremely dominant 3-0 win in Old Trafford in September to put even more pressure on the former manager of United, Erik ten Hag of United.
The game is proof of why ange postecoglou Micky van de Ven packs in cotton wool for the final.
Van de Ven was not only defensively impressive in this game, as he is usually, he also wore the ball in half the length of the old Trafford field to set up Brennan Johnson for their opening goal in the third minute.
The game was then apparently over at the end of the first half when Bruno Fernandes was sent – a red card that was later destroyed by a profession.
But this is another united side. Although you cannot suggest that their position in the Premier League of 16th is proof that they have continued under Ruben Amorim, they look more defensive, they give fewer opportunities and have shown in these large European nights that they can be a threat, more than under ten hag.
A nice cup variety – which we didn't learn much from
The second time these two parties met, was in the Finals of the Carabao Cup in December – a nice meeting that Postecoglou's Spurs won again, this time 4-3, with Amorim taken over from Ten Hag.
But if you look at lessons that both parties can go to the final, it is a challenge if you consider the context around it.
First of all you look at the composition of both sides. Spurs had Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin form their center-back partnership, with Fraser Forster in Doel. The most important three of Spurs at the back of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and defenders of the Ven and Cristian Romero were all injured.
For United, again, a side that will be changed a lot for the final with Altay Bayindir starting in Doel, Lisandro Martinez, who is out for the rest of the season, as well as Antony, who now plays the leading role for real betis in Spain, can also be seen.
On this occasion, although Spurs were injuries and did well to make progress, Amorim also took a calculated risk of hardly rotating many of his players from the first team. It didn't work when they also lost their next three games in the Premier League.
Maddison -Winner arranges the most recent meeting
February was the last time these two parties met and won Spurs with 1-0, but I don't think Amorim will look back on this game too closely.
That is partly because the goal that United had admitted was a bad one. Andre Onana should have done much better to palpate a Lucas Bergvall shot away, which eventually left James Maddison with a comfortable finish straight for the goal.
Amorim had very limited opportunities to change the game when you look at the team that he had to choose at that time. It was a united side destroyed by injuries. Victor Lindelof was the only replacement to have some form of Premier League experience.
Spurs also had injuries, with Kevin Danso and Ben Davies their center-back combination, two players who are probably not starting in the final, while Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski also started, but will not play part on Wednesday due to an injury.
So what did we learn?
Not much, really!
Spurs will take confidence despite the circumstances. When they have hired Untied this season, they have been able to draw the results and perhaps even more important, results.
Dominic Solanke also has three goals in three meetings against United, which can give him that extra lead against their opponents in the final.
Asked for a side of one side that has defeated the United three times, Amorim said: “If you look at the opportunities, we are closer to winning then losing. Both teams play like everything or nothing.”
The last three words describe perfectly Manchester United in Europe this season: everything or nothing.
United looked like they were from the competition when they were against Lyon in the quarterfinals in Old Trafford against Lyon, but they came back in a wonderful way.
In the semi -final, while I traveled to Bilbao for their draw against Athletic Club, most experts and fans would have thought a draw for a team that had only lost once in LaLiga since August at home
Man Utd won 3-0 in San Mames and 7-1 on aggregated.
We must also take into account the tactical tweaks that Amorim has made since the two parties met for the last time in February.
In the most important games he has now settled in a midfield duo of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.
The Brazilian in particular has been revitalized under Amorim in recent months.
Amorim told me that this was mainly laid on Casemiro who worked on his own fitness, as well as the United Boss who adapts the way they edit, more than with their wingbacks high, so that Casemiro can remain for the defense and is not caught on the transition.
Amorim and the players have talked about how the physicality levels of European opponents are more suitable for the players, which is the question of how they will deal with a physical spurs side that will try to impose themselves as they have done in the earlier meetings of this season.
But United has been illogical and unpredictable this season when it comes to the Europa League. When you consider all the circumstances of their previous meetings with Spurs, it is clear that they will not have much relevance.
Wednesday's competition is another proposition for both parties.
Sky Sports to show 215 Live PL games next season
From next season, the Premier League coverage of Sky Sports will increase from 128 games to at least 215 games that are exclusively live.
And 80 percent of all Premier League matches broadcast on television will be on Sky Sports next season.