Villarreal will come against Manchester United in the grand UEFA Europa League FInal on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 3:00 PM (ET) at the Gdańsk Stadium in Poland. Manchester United had a more difficult road to get to the final, having already beaten two Spanish sides, Real Sociedad and Granada, as well as two Italian clubs, Milan, and Roma in the Semi-Finals. Villarreal, on the other hand, defeated Salzburg, Dynamo Kyiv, Dinamo Zagreb, and eventually shocked Arsenal to set up a meeting with yet another Premier League outfit.
For the Yellow Submarine, it is their first Europa League, and in fact, their only European final in the history of the club. For the Red Devils, it is their second UEL final, and a total of seventh European final, including the five Champions League culminating games. The last time United won the Europa League was in 2017 when they were the better side from the Ajax clash.
While picking a straight winner might not be as attractive there are many betting opportunities in the over/under or who scores first that might be much more attractive. Let’s take a look at the betting options and tips for this matchup.
Villarreal vs Manchester United predictions and betting tips
This will be their fifth overall meeting. An interesting fact is that there is no favorite in head-to-head games, as neither Villarreal nor Manchester United have celebrated a victory so far, while all four clashes have ended in a draw. Villarreal have no other choice but to go for a victory in this matchup here if they want to qualify for a Champions League spot for next season. They have already missed out on the Europa League by finishing seventh on the La Liga table, which brings them to the newly-formed Europa Conference League.
However, for a club that have reached this stage of the UEL, they have certainly set their goals higher and decided to put all of their focus on this one "do or die" final. For the Yellow Submarine, this would be the ultimate test, having had sailed to the grand finale mostly through a calm sea. Their only tough challenge was believed to be United's Premier League fellow side Arsenal, but considering the fact that the Gunners underperformed during the 2021-22 season, the Spanish club didn't break much sweat in that clash.
In spite of that, the oddsmakers don’t favor Villarreal, who are at +390. In fact, it is Manchester United who have previously knocked out a club from their opponent's country, and FanDuel don't see a reason why they would struggle to do it again. The Red Devils have suffered only five defeats in all competitions in 2021, and only one of them was a European game.
With another final at stake, Unai Emery risks repeating his 2018-19 Europa League Arsenal failure. Back then, it was Chelsea who stood in the way of the Spaniard and his squad's UEL trophy dream. A tough battle is expected, but having everything in mind, betting that the match ends in a 3-1 triumph for Man Utd pays out +1500. At $100, the bettor could earn $1,500. If you got to pick anyone to put the ball in the back of the net in this game look no further than Bruno Fernandes, as he is at +460 to be the first one to score.
Want to stay in the know about all UEFA Europa League fixtures and betting options? Don’t miss a single detail on one of the most prestigious soccer leagues in the world and its possible contenders, Villarreal or Manchester United, thanks to our betting articles right here at Bolavip!
