The Europa League is underway and Tottenham Hotspur find themselves among the favourites to go all the way and lift the trophy in Bilbao next May. Here’s why they can do it, and a look at some of the other big teams standing in their way.
Spurs are now into their second year of Ange Postecoglou‘s methods and exciting style of play, and the positive impact of his approach to football appears to be paying dividends now.
The Australian has made sure everyone knows that, wherever he has gone, he has always won trophies in his second season. Surely, then, he is the one to break the curse and help Tottenham end their long wait for silverware.
Winning the Europa League is no mean feat, but Spurs have been handed a relatively kind draw for the league phase, and they should find themselves in the top eight who make it through to the knockout rounds by the New Year.
There is an implicit expectation around the club that the Europa League will be something of a priority this season — competing on all fronts would be nice, but sometimes you have to pick your battles.
Tottenham Hotspur have history in the competition, winning the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1984. Given the prestige of the tournament, and the fact it would lead to Champions League qualification, this feels like the perfect trophy for Spurs to go all-guns-blazing for.
Another club from England will be vying for Europa League glory, too, though, with Erik ten Hag looking to add to his impressive trophy haul at Manchester United.
The Dutchman may have struggled in the Premier League, but he’s already helped United lift the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and he would naturally love to add a European honour to that list.
On their day, the Red Devils are a formidable force, and they will no doubt be among the teams competing until the very end in the Europa League.
They’ll need to pick up the pieces from a disappointing home draw against FC Twente in their first game of the competition this week, though, but once they get going, Manchester United will certainly be one to watch.
You only have to look at the atmosphere Roma fans generate at the Stadio Olimpico to know that they are a force to be reckoned with, and that home advantage will surely carry them through to the latter stages of the Europa League.
Spurs have been drawn against Roma for the league phase, but luckily they will not have to make the trip to Italy. We will get a very good gauge of two of the tournament favourites on November 28.
Regardless of the result in that game, Roma have great potential to go all the way. They won the Europa Conference League in 2022, and could do one better this time around.
Spanish teams are pretty good, aren’t they? Even outside of the titans like Real Madrid and Barcelona, you’re always likely to find La Liga clubs pushing for honours in continental competitions, and Real Sociedad could be the ones to best represent their nation in the Europa League this season.
They may have lost a key player in Mikel Merino this summer, but Sociedad still have top quality talents like Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Takefusa Kubo who can pose a threat.
Sociedad are not the most glamorous team, and they’re unlikely to be the first name on anyone’s prediction list, but they should not be underestimated.
Portugal may be outside of Europe’s top five leagues, but that doesn’t mean FC Porto can’t mix it with the big boys in the Europa League.
You would normally find them in the Champions League, and they’ve got the trophy cabinet to prove they probably do belong there — remember that incredible UEFA Cup and Champions League win back-to-back under Jose Mourinho?
The only issue is Porto got off to a bad start in their opening game, losing to Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt. They’re a good team, no question, but they’re also the kind of team Porto have to be beating if they want to make a serious assault on the Europa League this year.
The final team we have to consider is Athletic Bilbao. Not only is the final going to be held at their stadium, which gives them extra incentive to be involved, but they’re also a club that have made it to the final hurdle twice before.
Granted, Bilbao lost in both 1977 and 2012, but they know what it takes to get there. Considering how strong their squad is right now, with the likes of Nico and Inaki Williams in attack, Unai Simon in goal, and the experienced Ander Herrera in midfield, we would be surprised not to see them in the latter stages.
As we said with regards to Sociedad, you simply cannot bet against Spanish teams in tournament football, and Bilbao will fancy their chances of lifting the trophy on home soil next year.
For more on the Europa League, check out our preview and predictions for Tottenham’s fixtures, or find out why we believe Spurs should prioritise the competition this year. You can also learn more about Tottenham’s trophy wins in the past, and the legends who led them to success.
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