How Manchester United Can Turn Their Season Around with a Europa League Victory

There’s no escaping the fact that Manchester United has had a dismal season thus far in 2024/25.

Under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, the team’s situation has progressively worsened, and it’s fair to suggest that clinching the Europa League title could be their saving grace this year.

Interestingly, it’s in European competition where the Red Devils have found a bit of comfort, remaining the sole unbeaten team during the group stages of this tournament.

They’ve notched up 16 goals, only surpassed by Galatasaray’s 19, and level with both Lazio and Tottenham’s 17.

This is in stark contrast to their Premier League form, where they currently languish in 14th place, having lost 12 of their 27 matches played in the 2024/25 season. In terms of scoring, United have only 33 goals to their name, sitting above only the bottom three in the top flight, in addition to Everton and West Ham.

Standing in their way for a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals is Real Sociedad, and while anticipation is high for Thursday night’s clash, the historical data leans in favour of the Red Devils.

La Real has secured only one victory in their last six European encounters against United, with two draws and three losses, that sole success coming in the group stage of this competition at Old Trafford back in September 2022.

Moreover, they have never triumphed against an English side on home soil in Europe (D1 L3), and have failed to find the net in their last three matches in this context, all against United.

Amorim’s squad has been averaging 18.8 shots per game in the competition this season, which is the highest of any team still in it, and it’s their best ratio in a European campaign since records began in 2003-04.

Additionally, United have lost only once in their last eight away games against Spanish teams in Europe, achieving five wins and two draws during that stretch.

Given that Sociedad is among six clubs to score in every one of their UEFA Europa League matches this season (10/10), and United has also achieved this feat (8/8), a high-scoring affair seems likely.

Captain Bruno Fernandes will play a pivotal role for the visitors, orchestrating the attack and looking to create opportunities to exhaust Sociedad’s defence.

Fernandes has consistently shone as a standout performer for the Red Devils, notably in a recent clash against Ipswich Town, where his influence is evident in the following pass graphic.

Across all competitions, the Portuguese midfielder leads the squad in both goals (11) and assists (13), but it’s unrealistic to expect him to carry the entire burden alone.

Players like Alejandro Garnacho (8G 6A), Joshua Zirkzee (5G 2A), and Rasmus Hojlund (7G 1A) need to step up significantly as well.

In particular, Hojlund has found success in Europe, scoring five of his seven goals in this competition, which may boost the 22-year-old’s confidence as he takes to the pitch at Anoeta Stadium.

Garnacho’s blistering pace could also trouble Sociedad, leading the team with 15 fast breaks this season.

If United is to take full advantage of this, they must sharpen their finishing skills.

Christian Eriksen currently boasts the highest shooting accuracy in the squad at 75%, though he cannot be relied upon as a regular starter at this stage. Following him is the injury-prone Mason Mount with 66.7% accuracy, and centre-back Matthijs de Ligt with 58.8%.

Bruno Fernandes leads the squad in created chances with 108, double the next best, Amad Diallo, who stands at 54.

As expected, a combative match is on the cards, where Noussair Mazraoui has excelled with 127 tackles, winning 75. Manuel Ugarte’s physicality is apparent; he has made 90 tackles this season, the second best in the squad, yet he’ll need to improve his 53.3% success rate as he has only won 48 of these.

Despite Sociedad’s scoring in every match this season in the competition, they have managed just 23 goals in 27 La Liga matches during the 2024/25 campaign, marking the joint second-worst total in the Spanish top flight.

Across all competitions, they have netted 55 goals but this has not been shared evenly, with only 12 players contributing to the goals tally.

If United can effectively neutralise key threats like Mikel Oyarzabal (nine goals), Brais Mendez (eight goals), Orri Oskarsson (seven goals), and Ander Barrenetxea (seven goals), there’s a good chance the Basque team won’t have much else left in their attacking arsenal.

Both teams prefer possession-based football, suggesting an entertaining matchup ahead. Only eight players in Imanol Alguacil’s entire squad have a pass completion rate below 80%, while United perform even better, with just five players failing to meet that mark.

A morale-boosting win over two legs in this tie would be invaluable for United, and with success within reach, every player donning a red shirt must believe a title is achievable.

Much like Sir Alex Ferguson needed an FA Cup victory in 1990 to spark his legendary tenure at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim could see the glorious days return to the Theatre of Dreams if his side can triumph in this season’s Europa League.