Next week sees the 2025 Europa League semi-finals kick off as Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Bodo/Glimt go into battle.
The four teams left, all hoping to reach the final in Bilbao on 21st May, have a genuine chance of picking up this valuable piece of silverware, which brings with it a 2025/26 Champions League place. The Europa League 2025 betting odds make Bodo/Glimt the outsiders but, having beaten Lazio in the quarter-finals over two legs, the Norwegians must be taken deadly seriously.
With Athletic Bilbao facing off against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur are the marginal title favourites, but that could all change very quickly. Now is the time for the big players in each team to stand up, and here are my four picks of the top stars to look out for over the two legs.
Oihan Sancet: Athletic Club
The Bilbao giants are flying high in fourth place in the La Liga table and on target for a Champions League place, so a European crown to add would make this a superb season for Ernesto Valverde and his team. The Williams brothers, Inaki and Nico, have long grabbed the headlines, and Nico starred in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph last summer.
But the player Manchester United will be most wary of is attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet. The 25-year-old has ripped up the Primera Division this season and is the joint-fourth top scorer in La Liga with 15 strikes from 25 appearances.
Sancet scored the opener in Bilbao’s 2-0 win over Glasgow Rangers in the quarter-finals, and his speed of foot and thought is too much to handle for many a defender. Bilbao fans are waiting on an update on his fitness after he was substituted during Athletic Club’s 1-0 win over Las Palmas in midweek, and it is possible Sancet may not recover in time for the first leg. But if the Red Devils manage to cope with the Williams boys, they will have a bigger challenge if and when Sancet returns for the second.
Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United
My SBOTOP writing mate James is a big Manchester United fan, a great bloke who texted me congratulations this week as my beloved Burnley bounced back into the Premier League. But he’s had a rather tougher time watching his team this season, as the Red Devils flounder in a period of transition, struggling unsuccessfully to climb out of the bottom half of the league table.
But they have fared better in the Europa League, and United pulled off a stunning last gasp recovery to beat Lyon 7-6 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Skipper Bruno Fernandes scored the Red Devils’ third in the 5-4 home win, and he has been the go-to man throughout the season, top scoring and making the most assists for Manchester United in the league. He’s a strong leader, but his followers are not always up to speed, and Bruno may have to do it for himself. He’ll certainly be in the thick of the Europa League 2025 highlights over the next couple of weeks.
The Red Devils are away to Bournemouth this weekend and, with nothing to play for, I suspect Ruben Amorim will rest some players, and I’d include the influential Bruno in that.
Micky van de Ven: Tottenham
Currently 16th in the Premier League table, Spurs have had a total shocker in their domestic league and, much like Manchester United, the North London club is relying on the Europa League to save their season. Tottenham have suffered terribly with injuries to key players this season, and there is no denying the absence of centre-back Micky van de Ven made them much too easy to beat, as they have lost 18 of their 33 league games.
But van de Ven is back, and his pace and strength in defence will be key to Spurs’ prospects over the next few weeks. I expect the 24-year-old Netherlands star to be rested when Spurs visit Liverpool on Sunday.
Patrick Berg: Bodo/Glimt
Bodo Glimt made history when they beat Lazio, becoming the first Norwegian side to reach the semi-finals of a European competition, and their victory over Serie A giants Lazio sparked wild celebrations throughout Norway. But the win came at a cost as Andreas Helmerson, who scored Glimt’s leveller against the Italians, was later sent off, and he joins captain Patrick Berg on the sidelines after he picked up a yellow card in the win.
Berg will be back for the second leg, but he will be a key motivational figure in the first. A dynamic defencive midfielder, the 27-year-old has scored 13 goals in 72 appearances for his club and has won 32 caps for his country. If Bodo are nicely in the game for the second leg, he will fancy his chance to lead his team to another stunning victory.
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