JOSE & CO FIGHT FOR MORE THAN A TITLE
With Manchester United failing to qualify for Champions League after finishing sixth in the Premier League, winning Europa League has become of prime importance for the English giants. With the tier two of European football presenting them a second chance to qualify for the continent’s elite club competition, HT looks at the talking points ahead of their final against Ajax in Stockholm:
POGBA SEEKS SALVATION
At the fag-end of a season of fits and starts, Paul Pogba will be expected to deliver the goods in the Europa League final.
Much like his team, the Frenchman has shown only fleeting flickers of form since his world-record £89.3 million return to United from Juventus last year. The match against Ajax gives Pogba a chance to salvage his club's season and silence his critics.
JOSE’S MIDAS TOUCH
While Manchester United’s season hasn’t gone the way Jose Mourinho would have liked, the Portuguese manager will look to continue his impressive run in European finals.
Mourinho has won all three of his European finals so far — the 2003 Uefa Cup and 2004 Champions League with Porto, and the 2010 Champions League with Inter Milan. He has an impeccable record in the domestic competition as well, winning 11 of the 13 finals.
EYES ON YOUNG GUNS
The Ajax youngsters have shown throughout the tourney that they were not overawed by their opponents and are expected to do the same when they come up against United.
Despite an average age of 22, the Dutch side, led by manager Peter Bosz, has displayed no signs of nerves in beating Schalke and Olympique Lyonnais to reach their first European final since 1996.