Donkey Derby! The Europa League final adds to the intensity, with Manchester United sitting on a winning advantage

This season's Europa League final is destined to set the worst record in the history of any team in the league rankings, with Manchester United currently 16th in the Premier League and Tottenham 17th behind them, just two places above the relegation zone. In contrast, last season's finalists were Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and Serie A top-four Atalanta Atalanta.

Tottenham were the home side in the final and opted for the all-white shirt they have worn in Europe for 64 years, as opposed to the dark blue white bottoms in the Premier League. UEFA rules have forced both teams to wear shirts, shorts and socks in the same colour, forcing United to switch to red, black and black socks, and they have only done so once this season, in a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in Spain. However, the Red Devils are familiar with the visiting dressing room at the San Mamés Stadium, the venue for the final, having beaten Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the semi-finals.

The British newspaper The Sun called the final between Manchester United and Tottenham the "Donkey Derby", which is a donkey racing game adapted from horse racing in Europe and the United States. As we all know, donkeys run slower than horses, but they are more stubborn than horses. As a result, the Donkey Derby is thrilling and fun, combining the excitement of horse racing with the elusive, often comical nature of a donkey. The jockey clings to the tenacious and elusive mount, and the donkey derby scene always gives the spectator a pleasant experience.

The British media also gave other names to the final between Manchester United and Tottenham, such as the Hell National Derby, the Joker Derby, etc., but no matter what it is called, the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao will be the door of life and death for both teams, the winning team will go home with the championship to participate in next season's Champions League, while the loser will fall into the abyss of death from which it will never recover, and will be ridiculed for a summer.

These are two of the five worst teams in the Premier League, with Manchester United picking up just two points from their last eight Premier League games and Tottenham having just five points from their last 11 Premier League games. The two teams have lost 44 games in all competitions this season and have not even reached the traditional 40-point barrier in the league standings. Therefore, coach Arsene Wenger has publicly stated before that the two teams do not deserve to get the Champions League places. But some people believe that this reflects the overall strength of the Premier League, and the two worst teams can still reach the top of the European championship podium!

In any case, it was a cup final like no other, perhaps the worst, most illogical and most intense in the history of European football. It is also ironic that even if Ange Postecoglou had led the team to win the Europa League, he was doomed to be sacked; Conversely, Ruben Amorim is likely to remain in charge of Manchester United next season if he loses.

That's the unpredictability of cup competitions, you need to be the most consistent team to win the league, but it doesn't have to be that way to win a cup, a lot of luck, a favourable penalty or a mess of the opponent can lead to a cup title.

Looking back, United might not even have qualified for the Europa League if it weren't for last season's FA Cup semi-final when VAR whistled out a stunning goal from Coventry City for offside. But they are now in Bilbao and have a chance to rewrite the poor season ending and have a certain advantage in the squad.

Three key players have returned to the league ahead of the league, with Lenny Yoro, Diogu Dalou and Joshua Zirkze returning, with only De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez out injured. In contrast, Tottenham will be missing at least four key players, with the boss confirming that England midfielder James Maddison and Sweden international Lucas Bergwar are out of action due to injury despite travelling to Spain, while Kulusevski is also set to miss out with a knee injury. Also missing is defender Radu Dragusin, who was out for the season with a torn cruciate ligament in January.

Despite their mediocre league performances, Manchester United have recently won the title every year. Ten Hag's two years in charge won the FA Cup and the League Cup. If you were looking for a historical portents for Manchester United to win the title, you would find that Jose Mourinho won his first European trophy on 21 May 2003, at the age of 40, 3 months and 24 days. If Amorim wins the championship on Wednesday, the date will also be May 21, and he will only be one day younger than the original Mourinho!

Manchester United also lifted the Champions League on 21 May 2008 and competed at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, against both Premier League teams: the Red Devils were against Chelsea. At that time, the core of Manchester United's team, Cristiano Ronaldo, was also Portuguese, and now the team is counting on captain Bruno Fernandes to perform well.

Of course, Tottenham fans can also find strong reasons to support their own team to win. In particular, Tottenham have the upper hand over Manchester United, having won all three of their previous meetings this season. Moreover, this year is the year to break the title drought: Crystal Palace won the first major trophy in the club's history, and Newcastle United ended a 70-year wait...... So why can't Tottenham win their first trophy in 17 years?

But these theoretical analyses will all be ineffective the moment the referee blows the opening whistle of the Europa League final. The more fighting spirit and the better side will win. This is perhaps the most influential Europa League in recent years, with both teams fighting for honour and face, finances and wages at the same time, and winning the championship will lead to a Champions League and a 25% pay rise. Last season's Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta, whether they won the championship or not, both qualified for the Champions League; Manchester United, who finished second in the Premier League in 2021, lost in the final to Villarreal, who only won the Champions League.

Zhao Hao, a famous general in China's Warring States Period, has long summarized the decisive factors of this scene: the brave wins when they meet on a narrow road. As a reminder, Ma Fujun Zhao Hao's original words were: "Its road is far and narrow, for example, two rats fighting in the hole, and the brave will win." The Premier League's second game this season in the Europa League, who will win?