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Owen Hargreaves believes that Manchester United are favorites to win the UEFA Europa League this season. The former Red Devils midfielder is expecting Erik ten Hag’s men to go all the way in the competition given the quality of their squad.
Manchester United made it to the 2024-2025 Europa League after defeating rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Going by their position in the league last season, they should have been in the UEFA Conference League, but their FA Cup triumph saw Chelsea, who qualified for the tournament after finishing sixth, step down for them.
They will host Dutch side Twente tomorrow (September 25) in their Europa League opener. They last won the competition in 2017 under the guidance of Jose Mourinho. The last time they featured in the tournament was in the 2022–23 season, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Sevilla.
Former Manchester United midfielder Hargreaves, however, reckons that clinching the Europa League this season is not beyond Ten Hag’s men, as they will be keen to lift their third trophy since the Dutch manager arrived at the club. He told Metro:
''I think when you’re in the Champions League and you’re not at the level of the other teams you get found out real quick. Last year was quite disappointing, the issues that they had in the Champions League but I think winning the Europa League is super realistic for them with the squad that they have and I wouldn’t put it past them. If they could find another way to win a trophy then Ten Hag will be there for a while still.’'
He added:
''I think back to Arsenal when they kept getting smashed by Bayern seven one – it’s not really good for you if you keep getting beat that heavily. So I think for United right now, they’re probably in the right place where they can actually go and win that competition.''
The 43-year-old also gave his assessment of the Red Devils' start to the season. He said:
''It’s not been good enough and what anybody expected, especially after they had a good summer in terms of recruitment. They have got to get kick-started and Europe is a huge opportunity for all the players. I know they want to be in the Champions League, but I think sometimes you’re better off being in a competition where you can win it.''
Why Manchester United are playing the Europa League on a Wednesday
For the first time in the history of the UEFA Europa League, teams will play on a Wednesday. The first matches of the 2024-25 Europa League will be played this Wednesday and Thursday. Manchester United are among the teams that will play on Wednesday as they welcome Twente to Old Trafford.
Prior to this season, Europa League fixtures were typically played on a Thursday, but this year’s campaign will see some teams play on a Wednesday. Here’s why:
Manchester United, along with several other teams, are playing on Wednesday (September 25) due to UEFA making changes to its fixtures across all tiers of European football club competitions. The Europa League now incorporates 36 teams instead of the usual 32, and matches are now played in a league phase and no longer in a group stage.
