Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur reach Europa League final

For Manchester United or Tottenham, a miserable campaign will end in UEFA Europa League glory.

Despite both teams languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League is now just one game away.

That's the reward on offer after the two troubled English clubs advanced to the final of Europe's second-tier competition on Thursday.

United beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the semifinal second leg at Old Trafford and won 7-1 on aggregate. Tottenham won 2-0 away at Bodo/Glimt to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.

It set up an all-English Europa League final for the second time in six years after Chelsea beat Arsenal to lift the trophy in 2019.

"If we don't win the final, it means nothing for us," United coach Ruben Amorim said. "It's hard to describe what it's like to be manager of this club. You want to give them (the fans) something, because we've been so disappointing in the Premier League."

United came back from 1-0 down at halftime against Bilbao, with Mason Mount coming off the bench to score twice after the break. Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund were also on target.

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro struck for Tottenham against Bodo/Glimt in Norway.

The final is in Bilbao on May 21.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," Spurs' defender Micky van de Ven said. "We've had a tough season, but we're one game away from winning silverware."

A major title, alone, would be enough to salvage what has otherwise been a season to forget for both United and Spurs. But the added prize of a place in the lucrative Champions League would put the winner back among Europe's elite next term.

That hasn't looked likely for either team for most of the campaign as they have languished closer to the relegation zone than the top five.

United are 15th in the standings having lost a club record 16 games in the Premier League. It is also certain to record its worst-ever points total in the modern era, as well as its lowest finish.

For Tottenham, it's even worse – sitting one place below United after a club record-equaling 19 losses in the Premier League.

Now, one of those teams has the chance to effectively erase their woeful domestic form by winning the final in what will be the fourth time they have faced each other this season.

Spurs won all three of the previous encounters – twice in the league and also in the English League Cup.

"We are struggling, both of us, so I don't know what is going to happen," Amorim said. "That is a good thing and a bad thing with this team. I never know."