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Everything Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been up to, will all come down to Wednesday when they take on Villarreal in the final of the Europa League.
The stage is set in Gdansk for a new champion to succeed Sevilla, who won the trophy last year. The Red Devils have enjoyed a successful season thus far and will be aiming to make it better by adding silverware.
Having already finished second in the Premier League, Manchester United can now finish the season strongly to cap off their hard work.
But Villarreal have proven to be formidable opposition. The Spanish side will be playing in their first-ever European final but they boast a manager who has already won the Europa League three times.
Solskjaer desperate for first trophy
Unai Emery’s record in the competition is in stark contrast to that of Solskjaer, who will be playing in his maiden final as Manchester United manager.
For all the progress chalked up by the team under the Norwegian, he hasn’t yet won any trophy and he’s desperate to end that drought.
Last season, Solskjaer led Manchester United to three semi-finals and lost in all of them. This season, the Reds lost in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and were also eliminated from the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage.
Despite Solskjaer’s transformation of the team, there’s a perception that he’s a nearly-man; one which he can only shed away by winning silverware.
The Europa League final presents the perfect opportunity for Solskjaer and Manchester United to finally end the club’s four-year wait for a trophy.
Europa League victory could change it all for Manchester United
For much of the season, Manchester United looked like Premier League contenders before falling off the pace after some unforgivable results.
But the Reds have been ruthless in the Europa League. Since dropping to the competition after finishing third in their Champions League group, the Old Trafford outfit have been a different class.
"This is a team that we've rebuilt in the last few years. Hopefully this is the start of something more," Solskjaer said ahead of the game, as quoted by the BBC.
“This is the best club in the world. That's the pleasure and the pressure of Manchester United. That's something the players are ready for. They wouldn't have signed here if they weren't top players.
"These are big nights for us. It might be the stepping stone for a big future. This group of players has been working for a year and a half together. The next step for them is to enjoy a game like this - I've seen something growing inside of the players."
Manchester United have already beaten two Spanish teams – Real Sociedad and Granada – and beating Villarreal could be the defining moment that everyone has been waiting for.
Solskjaer has done tremendously well since becoming Reds boss but needs a trophy to show for all the work he has done at Old Trafford.
