Football writer Tom Hancock previews the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League semi-final second legs involving Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
All three Premier League clubs in the Europa League and Conference League enter Thursday’s semi-final second legs with leads to protect as they aim to reach the finals of the respective competitions.
There is even a chance of a second all-Premier League Europa League final, six years after the last one, when Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1.
In the Europa League, Manchester United host Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford having cruised to a 3-0 first-leg win, while Tottenham Hotspur head to the north of Norway to take on Bodo/Glimt, who they beat 3-1 in the first leg.
Meanwhile, in the Conference League, Chelsea welcome Djurgarden to Stamford Bridge in a position of strength after thrashing the Swedish side 4-1 in the first leg in Stockholm.
Man Utd (3) v (0) Athletic Bilbao
Following their comfortable 3-0 triumph over 10-man Athletic Bilbao last week, Man Utd remain the only unbeaten team across this season’s UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
United have won five consecutive Europa League home games, most recently coming from 4-2 down to beat Lyon in a 5-4 extra-time thriller in the second leg of the quarter-finals.
Ruben Amorim made wholesale changes for Sunday’s 4-3 Premier League defeat at Brentford, emphasising post-match that the visit of Bilbao was “the most important game” for his side.
"As a club, we need to understand in this moment that we have a big responsibility [to win the Europa League]," the United boss stressed.
The likes of talismanic captain Bruno Fernandes, who bagged a brace in the first leg, and Casemiro, who scored United’s other goal, didn’t feature at all against Brentford, so they should return to the starting line-up with a spring in their step. However, Amorim will definitely be missing Joshua Zirkzee, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
A three-goal lead may look comfortable, but United won’t have forgotten how they blew a two-goal advantage to almost go out to Lyon in the previous round.
Add to that the extra motivation for Athletic Bilbao - whose San Mames Stadium will stage the final - and it’s not yet job done.
But the visitors will be without a number of key players, with Nico and Inaki Williams, as well as top goalscorer Oihan Sancet, not named in the travelling squad due to injury, while centre-back Daniel Vivian is suspended after his straight red card in the first leg.
United are looking to reach their first European final since the 2021, when they were beaten by Villarreal in an epic 11-10 Europa League penalty shootout.
Bodo/Glimt (1) v (3) Spurs
Spurs almost took a 3-0 lead of their own into the second leg of their semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, only for their Norwegian opponents to pull a goal back late on in north London.
Ulrik Saltnes’ strike has left the tie less settled than Ange Postecoglou would like, as they, just like Man Utd, set their sights on a final in which victory would secure Champions League qualification for 2025/26.
This trip to the Arctic Circle town of Bodo, whose entire population could fit inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with plenty of room to spare, promises to be a unique experience for Spurs fans and players alike.
There’s the added quirk of the 8,270-capacity Aspmyra Stadion’s artificial pitch, which Spurs will train on the day before the game.
Scenen er satt 😍 pic.twitter.com/eh1eUHzpPy
— FK Bodø/Glimt | Seriemester 2024 🏆 (@Glimt) April 10, 2025
It’s a surface Postecoglou is familiar with, however. “I’ve been there with Celtic,” he explained. “I know the experience and what is important for us is we need to replicate what we did [in the first leg].”
Spurs have already played on synthetic turf once this season, although they were taken to extra-time by National League club Tamworth before winning their FA Cup third round tie 3-0 back in January.
The two-time UEFA Cup winners are trying to reach their first European final since the 2019 Champions League final, which they lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
And they’ll hope to be helped in their mission by the return of some important players for the second leg.
Dominic Solanke, whose penalty put Spurs 3-0 up against Bodo/Glimt last week, “should be right for Thursday” after missing Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at West Ham United, according to Postecoglou. Fellow first leg goalscorer Brennan Johnson should also start after being an unused substitute at the weekend.
But Spurs do look like having to make do without their other goalscorer for the remainder of the season: Postecoglou revealed the prognosis for James Maddison’s knee injury “doesn’t look good”.
Chelsea (4) v (1) Djurgarden
There can be no room for complacency for Chelsea, who lost the second leg of their Conference League quarter-final 2-1 at home to Legia Warsaw after a 3-0 first-leg triumph.
But with a healthy advantage, Enzo Maresca can be very confident of making it to the final in Wroclaw, Poland.
Goals from Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke and a brace by substitute Nicolas Jackson secured a comprehensive 4-1 first-leg win over Djurgarden, and the Blues appear poised to advance to their second European final in five years, after defeating Manchester City 1-0 in 2021’s all-English Champions League final.
Chelsea will be full of confidence after beating newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, keeping them on course for a top-five finish and, as a result, Champions League qualification.
Going all the way in the Conference League would earn the Blues a Europa League spot they may end up not needing, but there’s still the chance to become the first club to win all three current major UEFA competitions.
Chelsea have doubts over the fitness of forwards Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu, but Maresca will doubtless be pleased about the recent return to form of Jackson, who has found the net three times in three appearances following a 13-match goal drought.
