14 min Pedraza plays a one-two on the halfway line, surges into space and is fouled by his former teammate Bailly. He could have been booked for that.
13 min Foyth, sporting a headband and some cloth stuck up his nose, returns to the field.
12 min The corner is headed away, and that’s the end of that.
11 min Pogba stabs a majestic outside-of-the-foot pass out to Greenwood, whose cross is put behind by Capoue.
10 min “Bruno has been a godsend for United,” says Mary Waltz. “He is a great footballer. It is an insult to connect his name to John Travolta in any fashion.If you saw Battlefield Earth you wouldn’t do this to Bruno.”
Sorry, I should have made it clearer – Bruno is Pulp Fiction, United are John Travolta. Battlefield Earth is their 6-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley in the 2024 EFL Cup.
10 min A stretcher has been brought on, though I think it’s just a precaution. Foyth is on his feet and has a nosebleed, but he doesn’t look especially groggy.
9 min Foyth slips and falls under Pogba, who accidentally knees him in the head. Pogba immediately waves to the referee to stop play, and Foyth is receiving treatment.
8 min This is a good spell for United, with the last few minutes being played largely in the Villarreal half.
7 min The first shot, in anger or otherwise. Rashford steals the ball on the left wing and lays it back to McTominay, who drags a shot well wide from the edge of the D.
6 min Shaw crosses low to the near post, where Cavani tries to spin away from Raul Albiol. Foyth gets between him and the ball and shepherds it out of play.
5 min Greenwood has made a lively start, regularly coming inside to get involved.
3 min Lots of slow, risk-free passing from both teams in the first few minutes.
2 min Both teams are lining up as expected, 4-2-3-1 for United and 4-4-2 for Villarreal.
1 min Peeeeeeeeeeep peeeeeeeeeeeep! United, in red, kick off from left to right. Both teams are in their home kits.
Tense, nervous headache? Don’t worry, the adrenaline will soon get rid of it. It’s time for the 2021 Europa League final!
Bruno Fernandes, United’s captain in the absence of Harry Maguire, leads them onto the field. He has done for United what Pulp Fiction did for John Travolta; now it’s time to pick up some awards.
The players are in the tunnel. David de Gea is smiling and joking with some of his Spain teammates, a sight to warm the heart of Roy Keane.
In his pre-match interviews, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has implied that Fred would have started if he was fully fit. An alternative interpretation is that Fred’s injury last week allowed Solskjaer to swerve the difficult decision whether to leave out Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford or Mason Greenwood.
Another Fulham email
“Neil Carter says he’s ‘CROSSING EVERYTHING!!!’ for a United win,” begins Jake Shaffer. “That didn’t work out too well under Moyes. Honk!”
‘And it was all yellow...’
Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF)
El partido empieza en las 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗔𝗦 del Gdansk Stadium 🏟.
La afición calienta motores para llevar en volandas a su #Villarreal.
¡Un millón de 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗦 💛!#UELfinal #EsNuestroMomento pic.twitter.com/97pk3BVRtW
May 26, 2021
Just over twenty minutes to kick off, and Neil Carter is calmness personified
“Evening Rob,” writes Neil. “Attacking line up from Ole. I’ve been asking for this all season. Now I’m going to look stupid aren’t I when we get pumped. CROSSING EVERYTHING!!! Cmon you Reds!!!”
“I can identify with the Villarreal fans tonight,” says Richard Hirst. “Eleven years ago I was entering Hamburg’s stadium with tears in my eyes to watch Fulham (never won anything) in the Europa League final against Atletico Madrid, replete with Aguero, Forlan, De Gea (the very same), Reyes etc. We took it to the last minute of extra time; let’s hope Villarreal can go one better.”
What, lose on penalties?
“Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “If the Villareal youngster scores a pearler to leave United in a jam, you could say that Yeremi spoke in class today.”
You could indeed. And what better way to set the mood than with a song about a teenager who killed himself!
The pre-match thoughts of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
“I feel good, looking forward to it. This is the worst time: all the work is done and we’re just waiting for the boys to go out and express themselves. David [de Gea] did really well in the quarters and semis, and I expect him to be ready for this. Unfortunately Fred has been injured in the week leading up to the game - he trained last night and he’s okay to be on the bench. He was disappointed not to start, but that’s the hard bit of being a manager.
“We just have to trust ourselves. This is a reward for all the hard work they’ve done in the last two years. We’ve been getting closer to a final. I want them to play with confidence, play with courage and be the best version of themselves.”
I’m going to take a short coffee break. See you in a peedie while.
Barney Haywood (@barney_haywood)
@united_writing I also love the "Yellow Submarine"'s tops. The Aeroport Castelló classic from 2005 is odd in that the airport wasn't declared open until 2011 and then didn't receive its first flight until 2015.
May 26, 2021
I look forward to an English team being sponsored by Heathrow Third Runway next season.
Gerard Moreno is the biggest threat to Manchester United. He will almost certainly start for Spain at Euro 2021, and only Lionel Messi scored more goals in La Liga this season. Santi Cazorla, chatting on BT Sport, says he is “one of the best players in the world”.
Harry Maguire is among the United substitutes, though I’m not sure why as he has no chance of playing. Maybe it’s so that he gets a medal if United win. I’ll level with you: I haven’t a clue!
Villarreal (4-4-2) Rulli; Foyth, Albiol, Torres Pedraza; Yeremi, Capoue, Parejo, Trigueros; Moreno, Bacca.
Substitutes: Asenjo, Mario Gaspar, Funes Mori, Raba, Estupinan, Alcacer, Moreno, Coquelin, Pena, Jaume Costa, Moi Gomez, Nino.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) de Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; McTominay, Pogba; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Cavani.
Substitutes: Grant, Henderson, Maguire, Mata, Amad, Fred, James, Alex Telles, Matic, Williams, van de Beek, Tuanzebe.
Referee Clement Turpin (France).
Yeremy Pino, the thrilling 18-year-old who scored at Real Madrid on Saturday, starts for Villarreal. But there’s no Samuel Chukwueze, not even on the bench.
Villarreal CF English (@Eng_Villarreal)
Here's how the Yellows will line up in Gdansk for the historic game.
Let's go, Villarreal! 💛#UELFinal#ItsOurTime pic.twitter.com/GN2A9AFSx3
May 26, 2021
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has chosen an unusually attacking line-up, with Paul Pogba playing alongside Scott McTominay in the centre of midfield. That’s a risk with a Maguireless defence, and, since you asked, not the team I’d have picked.
There are no other surprises - David de Gea and Eric Bailly are preferred to Dean Henderson and Axel Tuanzebe.
Manchester United (@ManUtd)
🔴 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 🔴
Presenting our final starting line-up of the season ⬇#MUFC | #UELfinal
May 26, 2021
United have played in seven European finals, which is pretty modest for such a giant club. They have won five (1968, 1991, 1999, 2008, 2017) and lost two, both to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona (2009, 2011). Anyway, enough of all that guff - the teams are in!
Of all the things to love about Villarreal, their kit is right up there. This season’s isn’t quite as good as the Aeroport Castello classic, but I’d still be proud to wheeze my way round a five-a-side pitch in it. And if they win tonight, it will have an enduring cachet.
utdreport (@utdreport)
Suited and booted 👔 @paulpogba #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/axTOL1q1Qw
May 26, 2021
Warren (@wozHey99)
Anniversary of the 4-0 win against Brighton. Does anyone from Villarreal wear a headband? #steviefosterwhatadifferenceyouhavemade
May 26, 2021
Never happened, Gordon Smith scored.
Of United’s likely starters, the only players with experience of a European final (I think) are David de Gea, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford. That’s fairly surprising given United won this trophy four years ago. A lot has changed since then. Some of the probable subs have also played in European finals, including Juan Mata, Donny van de Beek and Nemanja Matic.
Here’s Paul Doyle’s Fiver, which includes the best and possibly only Gdansk joke I’ve read.
“It’s funny,” writes Niall Mullen, though he doesn’t appear to be laughing. “Until recently I had no real feelings towards Villarreal but just this morning I got the overwhelming urge to support them. Go figure.”
On today of all days
Cliffs Notes: Villarreal
This is a really brilliant piece from Sid on what this game means to Villarreal. If they do win, only the most one-eyed United fan will begrudge them.
Sid Lowe (@sidlowe)
Europa League final day. Villarreal covered for you...
May 26, 2021
—Here’s the story of how a club that had never been in the first division, in a town of just 50,000, with barley 2,500 fans grew into a European regular.https://t.co/oAxwJNTxlr
We’ll have a leisurely build up to kick off, including team news at around 6.45pm BST. While United are without Harry Maguire, Villarreal’s exciting Samuel Chukwueze should be fit for at least a place on the bench. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a few decisions to make, as discussed here.
Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle)
There are at least three dilemmas for #Solskjaer as he picks his #MUFC team for tonight. #RobSmyth and I discuss them in this chat for @united_writing. Warning: may contain jokes about defensive midfieldershttps://t.co/hLCCXkTG4r
May 26, 2021
Previously on...
2005-06
Villarreal 0-0 Man Utd
Man Utd 0-0 Villarreal
2008-09
Man Utd 0-0 Villarreal
Villarreal 0-0 Man Utd
The most notable incident in those four games - on reflection, possibly the only incident of any note - was Wayne Rooney being sent off for sarcasm. It really did happen, as demonstrated in the migraine-inducer at the top of this article.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United in Gdansk. Styles make fights - but so do backstories, and when this match kicks off the score will be Villarreal 0-45 Manchester United. That’s the number of major trophies won by each side. Villarreal have never been in a major final before, at home or in Europe, and even the newspaper formerly known as the Manchester Guardian appreciates how beautiful it will be if they win tonight.
It’s tempting to think of this game, historically at least, as David v Goliath. If that’s the case, it comes with a twist. Villarreal are managed by Unai Emery, who has won this competition a record-equalling three times, whereas Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has never been close to a European final before. There are unconfirmed reports that, if Villarreal win tonight, Emery will get to keep the trophy and Uefa will pay tribute by commissioning a replacement in the shape of his face.
A Europa League victory is in the eye of the beholder. For Villarreal, this match is the be-all and end-all, a chance of instant immortality. United want it to be the start of something - a gate to the shining uplands, like the FA Cup wins of 1963 and 1990 and the League Cup victory in 2006. (Let’s not dwell on the FA Cup triumphs of 1977 and 2016, which weren’t so much the gate to the shining uplands as the door to the Jobcentre for Tommy Docherty and Louis van Gaal.)
In March, Solskjaer talked negatively, though not unreasonably, about how trophies can be “an ego trip” for managers that can hide a lack of progress. Of far greater importance is the positive ego trip for players; a whiff of glory, and freshly polished silver, can empower and stimulate an emerging team to reach the giddiest of stratospheres.
Trouble is, there are two sides to every glory. Tonight, as in all finals except the occasional reality TV stinker, somebody has to lose. Eek.
Kick off 9pm in Gdansk and Villarreal, 8pm in Manchester.
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