The UEFA Europa League continues to take on ever greater importance for both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, whose domestic ordeals mean this is their only route to European football next season. Meanwhile, the UEFA Conference League looks to be Chelsea’s for the taking.
Here, football writer Ben Bloom previews the UEFA Europa League and Conference League semi-finals involving Premier League clubs.
UEFA Europa League
Can Man Utd find a way past LaLiga's best defence?
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That Man Utd have reached this stage of the UEFA Europa League is something of a minor miracle after they found themselves 4-2 down at home to Lyon with barely six minutes remaining in the quarter-final second leg.
Goals from Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire then completed the most dramatic of turnarounds to secure a semi-final spot.
With their poor Premier League form ruling out hopes of qualifying for Europe through that route, this marks their only chance of Champions League football next campaign.
However, that late win over Lyon was their only win in their last seven matches across all competitions.
They have since lost at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers and required a 96th-minute Rasmus Hojlund goal to snatch a draw at AFC Bournemouth in their last outing on Sunday.
Man Utd's last five PL results
Ruben Amorim's side have repeatedly struggled in front of goal this campaign. They managed 25 shots against Bournemouth – their highest tally in a Premier League match since October 2020 – but only six were on target.
"We created chances but we need to do better near the box," admitted Amorim.
Troublingly, they now face LaLiga’s most miserly defence, with Athletic conceding a league-low 26 goals in 33 matches.
While Man Utd's domestic travails mean they will likely rotate between both semi-final legs, Athletic could also have that luxury with a healthy points buffer from dropping out of the UEFA Champions League spots.
Currently fourth in LaLiga, their only league defeats since October have been against high-flying Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Athletic have never won a major European trophy, but will be desperate to reach a final that will take place at their home stadium.
They will likely have to do so without their top scorer Oihan Sancet, who managed just 22 minutes in their last fixture before departing with an injury, but star man Nico Williams could cause problems.
This is the first meeting between these two sides since Athletic beat Man Utd in the last 16 of the 2011/12 Europa League.
Will suspensions and injuries tip scales in Spurs' favour?
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With Spurs currently sat 16th in the Premier League, and in danger of their worst ever finish in the competition, this Europa League semi-final is of utmost importance to Ange Postecoglou and his side.
Of their last eight domestic matches, Spurs’ only win came against a Southampton side in danger of statistically being the worst Premier League team ever, and they prepared for this semi-final with a heavy 5-1 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.
Spurs' last five PL results
Postecoglou opted to save a number of key players that day for this tie, although he will likely have to fare without captain Son Heung-min, who has been on the sidelines with a foot problem.
This is the ninth time Spurs have reached the semi-final of a UEFA competition, winning their two most recent ties at this stage against Ajax in the 2018/19 Champions League and Hajduk Split in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup.
While their domestic problems have been severe, their victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the last round was impressive as they balanced attacking intent with defensive security in a manner often lacking this season. In fact, they are now unbeaten in their last 13 Europa League home matches.
Victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is vital, with double reigning Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt making it through all three of their Europa League knockout ties after big wins at their home ground, which is situated north of the Arctic Circle.
Bodo/Glimt's quarter-final triumph over Lazio was dramatic, as they survived a late fightback from the Italians to win on penalties and become the first Norwegian club ever to reach the semi-finals of a European competition.
That game came at a cost though, with Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen all suspended against Spurs. There are also injury doubts over Ole Blomberg and Odin Bjortuft, both of whom started against Lazio.
However, the Norwegians still possess this season’s Europa League top scorer in Kasper Hogh.
Bodo/Glimt have never beaten an English team, most recently losing 3-2 to Man Utd in the league phase in November.
UEFA Conference League
Chelsea remain firm favourites
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Having breezed their way through the UEFA Conference League, Chelsea experienced their first blip when defeated 2-1 in the second leg of their quarter-final against Legia Warsaw.
That did little to prevent Chelsea from progressing 4-2 on aggregate, but was alarming nonetheless after Enzo Maresca had decided to start most of his top players.
That was their only defeat in seven games across all competitions, and they have prepared for Djurgarden’s visit with wins against Fulham and Everton to maintain their push for UEFA Champions League qualification through the Premier League.
Chelsea's last five PL results
Chelsea remain firm favourites for Conference League silverware, and are now preparing to face a Djurgarden side who have never before gone this far in European competition or faced an English club.
The Swedish club finished fourth domestically last season, but are languishing 10th in the 16-team table after winning only two of their opening five matches in the 2025 campaign.
Until joining Spurs, Lucas Bergvall played for Djurgarden, and his brother Theo may feature for the Swedish side against Chelsea.
