Tottenham wins the Europa League: 1-0 at Manchester United, Johnson’s goal

Spurs in Paradise, Red Devils in Hell dear to them. In the Cateterral of San Mams the all English final was decided by a goal by Johnson (UEFA assigns him outside the Spurs even if the last touch seems to be of Luke Shaw), a symbolic epilogue of a game without appreciable game content. Fear, confusion, technical limits. This remains of the Europa League final played in Bilbao. Not exactly the spot dreamed by the Premier League, which will have 6 teams in the next Champions League: Tottenham takes place at Atalanta, conquers its third Europa League after the UEFA cups of 1972 and 1984, has raised the first trophy since 2008 and accompanies the maximum European competition Liverpool, Arsenal and two between City, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. The highly criticized Ange Poscoglu maintains faith with his trajectory which always wants to win in a bench in the second year, the United that in November has gone from Ten Hag to Amorim after 9 wins and 5 even in the competition loses for the first time and remains without Europe in the 25-26 season.

So much Italy

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Postecoglu said before the race that I am, stopping a month before returning to the last two games, would have been useful in the second half. Without the creatives Maddra and Kulusevski the Australian focuses on the muscles of Sarr and Bissauma, the best of his with Van de Ven. In the United Diallo for Garnacho and Shaw for the return of Ligt, outside Ugarte. In the field two Italians, Vicar and Udogie, and many ex of Serie A: Bentancur and Romero on the one hand, Bruno Fernandes, Onana, Diallo, Hojlund and Dorgu on the other. And then also Spence, Zirkzee and Diogo Dalot.

Bad record

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This Bilbao final has entered the history of European competitions: in the 180 finals played so far, two teams had never been faced in the respective championships: Tottenham 17 °, United 16th, or a sum of 33 for overall positions in the standings, 10 more places of the previous record, established in 1960 between Barcelona and Birmingham in the Fair Cup and equal in 1988 by Bayer by Bayer in 1988 Leverkusen and Espanyol.

No shot

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The consequence: a game for a long time without master governed by the chaos generated by two wounded teams, frightened, fearful braking of their mistakes and clearly awaiting the mess of an opponent rather than a stroke of his own genius. Retaled shots, goalkeepers on the verge of a nervous crisis, meaningless individual initiatives, generalized imprecision with the race frozen by the tension for the stakes and the first conclusion towards the delayed opponent’s door until 39 ‘, when a dialogue -unpretentious tiretto called in question vicar. And the goal, arrived 3 minutes later, is an act of loyalty to so much poverty: Sarr’s cross from the left, Alba Fermo, Johnson who tries to hit with the ball that goes back instead of the door and thus making bangs on Shaw and carambola on the net.

Acrobatics

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The recovery remained placing for a long time, with Tottenham lined up in a very low block, pure bolt, and United in domination but unable to create real dangers. Udogie offered Solanke the 2-0 ball, badly wasted by the alleged heir of Harry Kane, and only at 68 ‘the Amorim team woke up: yet another indecision of vicar out, Hojlund hits the head towards the empty door but Van de Ven on the line in acrobatics manages to save miraculously. The Portuguese enters Zirkzee and Garnacho for the bad Mount and the useless Hojlund and the Argentine shakes his forcing immediately to a great parade.

Last Resort

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It is a blaze, because this United lives on this. Moments, flash, personal ideas. There is no game and in a game reminiscent of an ancient English football and without quality Amorim has no other weapons than to send the giant Maguire to be a center forward. A dated Last Resort that obviously does not work, even if in the final siege with 8 minutes of vicar recovery is opposed with skill of a head of Shaw. Tottenham beats United for the fourth time out of four this season and raises a cup that does not shine. But the thing interests zero to the Spurs fans.