The season that Manchester United and Tottenham are having in the Premier League has sparked a debate in England about whether they should still be considered part of the famous ‘Big Six’. If it weren't for the poor performances of the three teams that were promoted from the Championship, both would be dropping due to relegation. However, it seems like everything was part of a master plan that could lead to six Premier League teams in the upcoming Champions League after gaining an advantage in their respective semifinal matchups in the Europa League.

Manchester United and Tottenham gained an advantage in the semifinals

For Tottenham, after overcoming Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarterfinals, they had to host a surprising Bodo/Glimt in London, who had eliminated Lazio at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The team managed by Ange Postecoglou quickly showed their superiority with a goal by Brennan Johnson in the first minute of the match. By the 60th minute, they held a commanding three-goal lead. However, they allowed Bodo/Glimt to get back into the tie with a late goal.

Much more complicated was the situation for Manchester United, who had to visit San Mamés, the stadium where the final will be held, to face an Athletic Club team that had lost only two home games this season. However, after holding out for the first half hour of the match, Manchester United broke down the Athletic defense, going into halftime with a three-goal lead that they managed to preserve throughout the second half.

One of the plans is destined to fail

Now, both teams will have to hold on to the valuable leads they have gained from the first leg. Manchester United seems to have a favorable scenario, considering that they will play the return leg at Old Trafford and remain undefeated in the competition. The one that must not underestimate the situation is Bodo/Glimt, as they didn’t secure such a wide lead and will have to fight hard in Norway to overcome a Bodo/Glimt side that hasn’t lost a single game at home in this edition of the Europa League.

If both teams do their job, they will have fulfilled the plan they set to reach the Europa League final, which will take place in San Mamés on May 21st, in search of a win that will grant access to the next edition of the Champions League. However, both Manchester United and Tottenham are fully aware that only one will secure that spot. Therefore, it’s inevitable that one of the plans will succeed… and the other will end in failure.