Five players to watch in Europa League final
SERGIO ROMERO (MANCHESTER UNITED)
Usually the deputy to David de Gea, Argentina international goalkeeper Romero has shown himself to be a more than capable standin for the Spaniard during United’s Europa League campaign. The former Sampdoria star has played 11 games to De Gea’s three in the competition and proved effective in their narrow 2-1 aggregate win over Celta Vigo in the semifinals. The 30-year-old continued that good form in his most recent appearance, saving a penalty from Manolo Gabbiadini to keep a clean sheet in a stalemate at Southampton.
DAVY KLAASSEN (AJAX)
At 24, captain Klaassen makes for an unlikely elder statesman on Peter Bosz’s youthful Ajax team. A graduate of the Dutch side’s famed youth academy and a Netherlands international, Klaassen is a box-to-box midfielder who has scored a career-best 21 goals for the Amsterdam giant this term. He was the architect of Ajax’s stunning quarterfinal win over Bundesliga team Schalke, his two first-leg goals laying the foundations for a 4-3 aggregate success. Klaassen has been linked with a move to United in the past but is now being touted for a Premier League switch to Everton.
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN (MANCHESTER UNITED)
Armenian speedster Mkhitaryan did not make his Europa League bow for United until its fourth group game, but he has since become something of a lucky charm. The 28-year-old’s five goals in the tournament to date include key strikes in knockout-phase games at Saint-Etienne, Rostov and Anderlecht. Substituted at half time on his underwhelming full United debut, a 2-1 loss at home to Manchester City in September, the former Borussia Dortmund star has bounced back to become a firm fan favorite at Old Trafford.
BERTRAND TRAORE (AJAX)
Yet to make the grade with parent club Chelsea, Traore joined Ajax on loan last August, having previously spent two years working under the Amsterdam club’s coach Peter Bosz during a loan spell at another Eredivisie side, Vitesse Arnhem. The 21-year-old Burkina Faso forward expressed disappointment at being farmed out on loan again and made a slow start to life at Amsterdam Arena. But the tricky wide player has come to life in the Europa League, notably scoring a brace as part of a man-of-thematch performance in a 4-1 semifinal first-leg win over French club Lyon.
MARCUS RASHFORD (MANCHESTER UNITED)
An injury sustained by Anthony Martial prior to United’s Europa League clash with Danish club FC Midtjylland last season gave Rashford his big chance and the tournament continues to be kind to him. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s knee injury paved the way for the pacy 19-year-old England striker into Jose Mourinho’s starting XI and he has proved decisive in the knockout phase. Rashford scored a smartly taken extra-time winner against Anderlecht in the quarterfinals and netted a valuable away goal with a fine freekick at Celta Vigo in the last four.