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The business end of the season is here. The UEFA Europa League final takes place on the 26th of May as Villarreal prepare to clash swords against a rejuvenated Manchester United in Gdansk. Unai Emery has led the yellow submarine to their first ever European final, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United have their eyes on winning their second Europa League trophy in four years.
The game is certain to be a goal-scoring affair as two of the best scoring sides in the competition come face to face. Although Villarreal's squad is significantly inferior when it comes to squad value, the Spanish side have the most successful manager in Europa League history at their helm. The Red Devils, on the other hand, have a manager who is fairly inexperienced in European competitions. But Solskjaer has managed to get his team firing on all cylinders, annihilating teams on their way to the UEL final.
Both managers are aiming for their first bit of silverware with their respective clubs. Unai Emery has won the Europa League a whopping 3 times in his career as he completed a 3-peat with Sevilla. However, the Spaniard's side are not the favorites to win the UEL, as they face a menacing Man United. Both teams have immense individual quality in their XI, as well as managers who understand their teams' strengths and weaknesses.
On that note, let's take a look at the five key battles in this game.
#5 Edinson Cavani vs Pau Torres
Pau Torres has arguably been one of the best players in La Liga this season. The 24-year-old has attracted interest from various clubs across the globe, especially Man United and Real Madrid. Luis Enrique has called up the centre-back for Euro 2020 as Spain prepare for life after Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique.
However, the youngster's biggest test has arrived. Edinson Cavani will be licking his lips at the prospect of firing his new club to Europa League glory and the centre-back he is more likely to target between Raul Albiol and Torres is the latter.
For all his passing and positional awareness, one key attribute Pau Torres lacks is aerial dominance. The Spaniard has won just 44% of his aerial duels, while his partner, Albiol, sits at 65%.
Raul Albiol's experience over the years will give him an edge over Cavani, but the Man United striker would certainly love to test Pau Torres regularly throughout the 90 minutes.
#4 Daniel Parejo vs Scott McTominay
When Daniel Parejo is in the mood, not many midfielders can contain the 32-year-old. This time, he is up against Scott McTominay - a player who brings mixed opinions from the fanbase.
Parejo has been one of the best midfielders in La Liga for the past decade, but the former Real Madrid midfielder has only won the Copa Del Rey in the top division. Staying at Valencia for almost nine years has not helped his cause, but the veteran finally has a chance to get his hands on European silverware.
The Spaniard has the quality to disrupt the best of defenses with his passes as well as the sheer composure he displays in high-pressure zones. His touches are tailor-made and on his day, his opponents barely get a kick in midfield.
Scott McTominay, on the other hand, has dropped some stellar performances for Man United, including in big games against Man City, PSG and Liverpool. Whether the defensive midfielder can put a tab on Parejo's qualities in the final is yet to be seen.
#3 Yeremi Pino vs Luke Shaw
The absence of Samuel Chukwueze severely hurt Villarreal in the final stages of the season. The Nigerian was subbed off after just 23 minutes against Arsenal in the second leg after feeling discomfort in his hamstring muscles. The 21-year-old was eventually ruled out of the following games and is highly likely to miss the final as well.
However, Yeremi Pino is an upcoming star for Unai Emery's men. The 18-year-old was not a first-choice winger due to Chukwueze's availability but chances have come by often for the Spaniard in the past few weeks. One of his best moments of the season was coming off the bench to score the winner against Getafe after going on a brilliant solo run. He also scored the opening goal against Real Madrid just last week.
Luke Shaw will have his work cut out against Chukwueze. Although the Englishman is always looking to overlap and form numerical superiority on the flanks, he will have to be careful not to leave too much space behind him for Pino to exploit. This will definitely be one of the contests to watch out for, given Pino starts as a right-winger for the yellow submarines.
#2 Bruno Fernandes vs Etienne Capoue
Bruno Fernandes is a player at the prime of his career, coming off a 30 goals + assists league season. He will be up against 32-year-old Etienne Capoue, who was sold by championship team Watford during the 2021 winter window. The difference in quality is astronomical, but it is difficult to predict who turns up in a one-off game. The odds, however, lie with Fernandes.
Etienne Capoue was bought in January by Villarreal after Vincente Iborra's injury in December forced Unai Emery to change his 4-1-4-1 formation into a 4-4-2, with Parejo and Capoue in midfield. Surprisingly, the former Spurs midfielder has settled in well at Villarreal, forming a decent partnership with Parejo and missing just five league games out of twenty for Unai Emery's side.
Bruno Fernandes will have the duty to tear apart Villarreal's two banks of four as it's highly likely that the Spanish side will sit back and look to hurt Man United on the counter-attack through quick transitions. It is an ideal scenario for Capoue, as he will have to defend less space against the threatening midfielder.
#1 Gerard Moreno vs Victor Lindelof
The best battle of the night has to be between the high-flying Gerard Moreno and Victor Lindelof. Harry Maguire missing out would be a huge blow to Man United's hopes of clinching the trophy as Gerard Moreno would be more than happy to pit his wits against the Swedish centre-back.
Victor Lindelof has been an underwhelming signing for Manchester United. Bought for a fee of £31 million, the 26-year-old is yet to impose his authority on the team and amongst the fans, as many still don't seem to be convinced by his abilities.
On the other hand, there is Gerard Moreno. Villarreal fans are in love with the 29-year-old. Moreno became Villarreal's all-time top scorer in La Liga and has amassed forty goal contributions in forty-five games across all competitions this season. The former Espanyol striker has touched his peak form in Emery's 4-4-2 system as he drifts inside from wide, wins headers and often displays his quality on the ball.
Victor Lindelof will have the biggest job of the night and that would be to contain Gerard Moreno. The Spaniard has the quality to punish even the slightest of mistakes, and becoming a Villarreal legend by bringing home their first European trophy ever will be on his radar.
