United have gone all season unbeaten on the road in the Premier League, Villarreal are 5-2-0 away from Valencia in the competition this season, so both should be happy enough at this neutral venue.

 

The Reds are a massive worldwide "name" and will want to win the silverware , but don't have quite the motivation of their opponent, as the only way that Villarreal can play Champions League football next season, is by winning the Europa League.

 

Villa finished 7th in La Liga, four points off fifth place, but, without the extended Thursday-Sunday commitment, would have doubtless finished closer to the "best of the rest" position, which is where they finished last season and they have that kind of ability and xP puts them six points better off and only 6 and not 26 adrift of Real Madrid. They are also Spanish (who knew !) and La Liga teams have won 10 of the last 17 Europa League finals (Premier League teams have come out on top 3 times over that period). This will be the 10th straight season a Spanish or English team has won the competition.  Spanish teams are 8-0 the last eight times they have not faced a non La Liga opponent and three of those wins came over EPL sides.

 

That all sounds promising and it is hard to agree with such big odds about Villarreal keeping the trend going being correct and, the motivation to earn a Champions League place and win a first ever major European competition ( I cannot count the Intertoto Cup) is huge, especially as main rival Valencia have a handful , local bragging rights alone will be priceless. They certainly have great experience on the sidelines, head coach Unai Emery has won 21 consecutive competition two legged ties during his tenure at Sevilla, Arsenal and Villarreal and knows how to get a team over the finishing line. This is his 5th Europa League final and he is looking for win #4. His United counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in his first ever final as head coach. OGS has the better, deeper squad, but Villarreal do not feel much less of a team and , as always, it comes down to odds and these feel too big.

 

Harry Maguire has sat out the last four United starts with injury and did not train this week and seems unlikely to start, the backline has looked ragged at times in his absence and has conceded 8 goals in those four games, just six in 11 prior to that.

 

 

 

 

 

Good luck !