Europa League semi-final preview: Manchester United in a strong position to progress, while Arsenal face a tougher task

It’s a tale of former managers as both Manchester United and Arsenal are a second leg tie away from qualifying for the Europa League final.

Manchester United in the box seat to reach the Europa League final

United are in pole position to qualify for their first European final since 2017 after beating Roma 6-2 in the first leg of their semi-final.

It will take an almighty comeback for the Italian side to make it into the next round, following a masterclass from Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani in the previous fixture.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be well rested after last weekend, with their game against Liverpool being postponed due to fan protests inside the ground.

Their opponents have also announced that manager Paulo Fonseca will be leaving at the end of the season, to be replaced by former United coach Jose Mourinho.

Arsenal need to score to reach this month’s showpiece

Elsewhere, Arsenal have to come from a goal down against Villarreal if they want to make it into their first Europa League final since 2019.

The Gunners lost 2-1 last Thursday, with Unai Emery yet again showing how good his teams can be in the competition.

A valuable away goal for the North London club will give them a boost going into the second leg, but they need to be at their best to get one over on their former manager.

Unlike United, they have the momentum of a league win at the weekend to give them an extra boost going into Thursday’s match following a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United.

The final is set to be played on the May 26, and it could be a second all-English final for the second time in three years in this competition.