Manchester United have had a terrible season. It seems the club announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo a long time ago and some fans have even gone so far as to say that the team managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could mount a challenge for the title.

However, we are now in May, Solskjaer was sacked in November and United are 28 points from first place having played two more games than leaders Manchester City. United will finish the season without silverware and it remains to be seen which European competition they will play under Erik ten Hag.

With a place in the top four and the Champions League now out of reach, the minimum many fans expected was Europa League football, although some fans did not want to play in Europe at all given that Arsenal is rebuilt with fewer games to worry about. . But United’s 4-0 loss to Brighton upended that plan.

READ MORE: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer chants, Ronaldo reaction and Manchester United’s missed moments vs Brighton

Had United beaten Brighton or even drawn against them, it would have all but secured their place in the Europa League. West Ham United take on Manchester City in midweek, in which they will struggle to get a result, and then take on Brighton in the final game of the season.

It would also have meant they would have been out of reach for Wolves, who can still mathematically overtake United as they have two games in hand. This could mean United would be completely without European competition, but given that the Midlands side have yet to play both Liverpool and City, that is highly unlikely to happen.

The 4-0 defeat erased United’s goal difference and then West Ham won 4-0 against Norwich. This means they are only three points behind.

If West Ham win against City then United will be level on points with David Moyes’ side and will need the London club not to match or better their result against Palace in the final game of the season (with a goal difference of 10 to West in favor of Ham, it seems unlikely to come into play). This completely removes power from Rangnick and his player’s hands.

If West Ham draw against City, United must win against Palace to confirm their place in the Europa League next season. If they draw, they must hope Moyes’ men don’t win against Brighton otherwise they will be in the UEFA Europa Conference League next season.

If West Ham lose to City then United only need a result to confirm their place, although they will enter the Europa League by default if West Ham do not beat Brighton.

Sign up to our United newsletter to never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.

An emotional José Mourinho claimed that Roma reaching the Europa Conference League final was like their Champions League.

Tammy Abraham scored in the first half on Thursday night to give Roma a 1-0 win over Leicester City and a 2-1 win on aggregate. The Italian team will face Feyenoord in the inaugural Conference League final on May 25, which will take place in Tirana, Albania.

Mourinho suggested he was in tears after the game because of what it meant for the club, rather than himself.

He said: “It’s a giant club without the trophy room compared to the social dimension of the club. So it’s not a trophy, it’s just the final but it means a lot to them.

“Of course I’ve had bigger moments than this, but I don’t feel for myself, I feel for people and my players. For us, this is our Champions League.

The Portuguese coach took over Roma last year. He has now reached five European finals with four different clubs and has the chance to become the first manager to win all three current UEFA European titles.

He continued: “I shed a tear because my emotion was for everyone who loves this club.

“I’ve had the chance to play in more prestigious finals than this one. But when it comes to how we’ve created a family atmosphere here, I feel special.

(Photo: Tullio Apulia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Leicester City lost to AS Rome by a 1-0 scoreline on Thursday night in Rome, ending the Foxes’ trophy hopes and, for all intents and purposes, their season. Tammy Abraham scored from a corner midway through the first half and City managed just two attempts on goal in the entire game, both of which were easily handled by Roma keeper Rui Patricio.

As you can imagine, manager Brendan Rodgers made a series of changes to the team that lost to Tottenham Hotspur Sunday: Kasper Schmeichel (C), Ricardo Pereira, Wesley Fofana, Jonny Evans, Timothy Castagne, Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Ademola Lookman, Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy.

The Foxes started brilliantly, earning an early corner through Maddison. The former Norwich City man took it, but he eluded all players and came out for a goal kick. Why hasn’t anyone finally finished it? Chris Smalling wrapped his arm around Fofana’s waist and didn’t let go. VAR looked at it but decided that wrapping your arm around a player and holding them is perfectly fine.

In case you were wondering, a paçoca is a Brazilian peanut candy, but idiomatically it also means a “crumpled mess”.

The hosts took the lead on 11′ thanks to, you guessed it, a corner kick. Roma won three corners in a row and, with the third, the ball found Tammy Abraham’s header. He rose above Ricardo and planted an unstoppable header past Schmeichel. There’s not much you can do about it except maybe put a centre-half on the striker or, you know, not concede as many corners.

The match got really edgy and controversial after that. A referee who will not call obvious fouls will certainly not call out borderline infractions. Both teams had frustrated players on deck with their arms raised on several occasions. This resulted in a match with no stream and little quality.

The referee had completely lost control of the game by half-time, with both teams calling for fouls that weren’t and the referee not calling fouls that were very clearly. I really wish there was more football to talk about, but it was just a waste of half time. Roma were worth their one-goal advantage on the run of play, but the Foxes absolutely should have had a penalty in the opening moments. Let’s hope for a better second half.

Perhaps aware of Matt Cook’s assessment of the Fosse Posse, Rodgers made two personnel changes and a complete overhaul to his half-time form. Lookman and Barnes replaced Kelechi Iheanacho and Daniel Amartey. The system changed from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-1-2 with Madders behind the two forwards.

I’d love to say the change ushered in a period of dominance by City, but I can’t. Roma’s press was less intense, but they seemed perfectly happy to sit back and let the Foxes try to unblock their defence. There was little evidence currently on display to suggest Leicester were up to the task.

There was a beautiful moment at the start of half-time when stadium cameras found Claudio Ranieri in the stands. The entire crowd of visitors rose to their feet and applauded long and loud, with the former city manager finally standing and saluting. It was by far the highlight of the game for us.

With twenty minutes to go, Rodgers introduced Timothy Castagne for Ricardo. A few minutes later, Ayoze Perez replaced KDH. How bad has Leicester’s attack been so far? When Madders threw a tame effort straight at Rui Patricio, it was our first effort on target. Seniorman put a bit more venomous effort on the frame, but again it was straight on the Portuguese keeper.

The five minutes of added time passed and the referee blew his whistle before the full five minutes had been played, of course he did. City’s historic run in the Europa Conference League has come to an end at the final hurdle.

It was desperately poor. We never looked threatening, let alone like scoring. A strong, disciplined Mourinho side will get it to you, so I can’t blame it all on the Foxes’ feet. But, with this team’s attacking talent, you’d think we’d muster little more than just two long-range efforts on goal. No one was on the same page, the passes were getting wildly misplaced, it was just awful to watch.

As I may have mentioned, the loss ends our run in the Europa Conference League. We face Everton Sunday and face Norwich City next Wednesday. Solidly in the middle of the table and without much interest, it will be interesting to see how Rodgers shakes things up. Or, at least, I hope it will.

Final note: I have to make a point here: I get a lot of stick for talking about refereeing in the match report. I understand. It looks like sour grapes. But, when refereeing plays such an important role in the way the game was played and maybe even the result, I think it is dishonest not to mention it. Make no mistake: this referee was desperately poor. They erred on easy calls the entire game. We didn’t deserve to win this but that didn’t make it any less infuriating when Vardy was whistled for doing less than Chris Smalling against Fofana in the penalty area on the death. My opinion is that most of the bad calls went against us, but I think it’s pretty obvious to anyone who watched the game that Srdjan Jovanovic just isn’t up to it regardless of the team. that you support.

The first-ever UEFA Europa Conference League final will feature Roma and Feyenoord. Meet the teams chasing the top prize in Tirana.

Roma (ITA)

Why they can win it
José Mourinho has never lost a European final, and Roma are solid overall and quick up front: essential ingredients when it comes to one-off matches.

UEFA ranking: 11
How they qualified: Group C winners (W4 D1 L1 F18 A11), 2-1agg Vitesse (R16), 5-2agg Bodø/Glimt (QF), 2-1agg Leicester (SF)
last season: UEFA Europa League semi-finals (L 8-5 agg vs Man. United)
Best in UEFA Cup/Europa League: finalist (1990/91)

Group stage highlights: Bodø/Glimt 6-1 Roma

Campaign so far
After some ups (four wins) and lows in the group stage (including a 6-1 loss at Bodø/Glimt), Roma found consistency in the knockout stage, reacting well to the defeat at Bodø/Glimt in the quarter-final first leg and making the most of a passionate and jam-packed Stadio Olimpico to see Leicester in the semi-finals.

how they play
Mourinho has three at the back, two attacking wingers, strong midfielders and two dynamic players behind lone striker Tammy Abraham. Roma like to attack quickly, advancing the ball with as few touches as possible. The goal is to get Nicolò Zaniolo and Lorenzo Pellegrini into space and Abraham one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

key player
Replacing Edin Džeko was no easy task, but Abraham has done magnificently since leaving Chelsea. The big striker is very mobile, bonds well with his midfield teammates and takes chances when they arise. So far, nine goals in this competition tell their own story.

Coach: Jose Mourinho
With two UEFA Champions League and two UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup victories to his name, Mourinho is aiming to become the first manager to win all three UEFA men’s club competitions. He is both a serial winner and an expert in handling pressure at the highest level.

Did you know?
Roma are the only team to have reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League.

Feyenoord (NED)

Highlights: Slavia Prague 1-3 Feyenoord

Why they can win it
Feyenoord were underdogs in the semi-final against Marseille after a relatively smooth run in the earlier rounds, but were adventurous in winning the first leg and shrewd in drawing the second. They can play attacking football, defend resolutely and above all, they are not easily scared.

UEFA ranking: 44
How they qualified: Group E winners (W4 D2 L0 F11 A6), 8-3agg Partizan (R16), 6-4agg Slavia Praha (QF), 3-2agg Marseille (SF)
last season: UEFA Europa League group stage (third section)
Best in UEFA Cup/Europa League: winners (1973/74, 2001/02)

Highlights: Feyenoord 3-2 Marseille

Campaign so far
Feyenoord are unbeaten in the tournament proper, with eight wins and four draws. After winning Group E six points clear of Slavia Praha and Union Berlin, they netted eight goals against Partizan in the round of 16 before scoring six more against Slavia Praha (again) in quarter-final, and three more modest ones against OM.

how they play
They play a nominal 4-2-3-1 formation, with Cyriel Dessers the only designated striker, but in reality Luis Sinisterra spends most of his time just as high up the pitch. Full-backs Lutsharel Geertruida and Tyrell Malacia are still keen to overlap. While the normal modus operandi is based on possession, the long ball over the defense was used to devastating effect in the semi-final first leg against Marseille.

Key player: Cyriel Dessers
The striker has found the net ten times in the Europa Conference League, making him the competition’s top scorer. Quick to pick up and fast too, Dessers has shown he can deliver when it really matters.

Coach: Arne Slot
In his first season at the helm of Rotterdam after a spell at AZ Alkmaar, Slot transformed Feyenoord into an attacking-minded team that eagerly chases the ball and then uses it to good effect. He far exceeded expectations by taking the club to the final.

Did you know?
Feyenoord won the European Cup in 1970 and the UEFA Cup in 1974 and 2002. Win the UEFA Europa Conference League and they will be the first and only team to get their hands on the current three major trophies for men’s clubs in UEFA.

Download the Europe app!

Odds Marseille vs. Feyenoord

Marseille and Feyenoord Rotterdam played out a thrilling first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final last Thursday which saw hosts Dutch claim a 3-2 victory in Rotterdam.

However, the Phocaeans are more than capable of turning the two around when the venue moves to southern France on Thursday for the all-important reverse game.

Marseille have been one of the biggest over-achievers against expected goals in all of Europe, but they have also come through the competition since their elimination from the Europa League group stage. The Phocaeans beat Qarabag, 6-1, on aggregate over two legs, handled Basel, 4-2, with back-to-back one-goal wins and won both legs against Greek side PAOK.

The club’s six-game knockout winning streak came to an end last Thursday in the Netherlands. Feyenoord have produced impressive European performances this season, since winning twice against Union Berlin and eliminating Slavia Prague in the quarter-finals.

The market continues to show a lot of respect to overvalued Marseille and I still play against them in this second leg.

Marseille enjoys a good stroke of luck

Marseille sit second in Ligue 1, but have been lucky enough to run well and be on course to return to the Champions League. Marseille ranks 11th in average xG per shot; 11th in shooting distance; and, sixth in expected non-penalty goals per game. Marseille’s numbers are inflated due to an overreliance on penalties, as they lead the French top flight with 10 penalties.

It’s not just the most penalties in France. The club is tied with Borussia Dortmund for the most penalties in all of Europe. Given Marseille’s style of play – a slow, patient build with lots of passing – you wouldn’t expect him to catch up with defenses in places where he should concede penalties when defending in space.

Marseille have also run well defensively when looking at their underlying numbers. The Phocaeans concede a lot of big chances to score relatively speaking, and when they are able to control possession, they are excellent at denying the opposition’s high volume of shots. Feyenoord’s direct counter-attacking approach caused problems in the first leg and I expect him to defend a lead effectively in this game as well.

Marseille have hit well above their underlying numbers and will regress at some point. The last two defeats against Feyenoord and Lyon last time out might just be the start.

Feyenoord puts on a solid season

Feyenoord have posted a truly impressive Eredivisie campaign on top of their Europa Conference League success. The club are heading for a comfortable third place behind Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, and really pushed Ajax in a recent 3-2 loss to the dominant Dutch side.

The attack has crushed many quality defenses in Europe this season, including Union Berlin and Slavia Prague. Both teams were tough to break but struggled against Feyenoord. Offense is good enough that some outlets rate it as the eighth best in the world.

It’s probably too high on this attack, but Feyenoord completely destroyed Marseille in the first leg with more than two xGs from 13 shots. The club are even more lethal when operating in space and will have much to gain once the ball is won by Marseille’s slow possession style.

Analysis and choice of bets

The Eredvisie didn’t get enough respect in the betting market. Even though Ajax were upset in the UCL, they fought their way through the group stage and were unlucky not to go further in the tournament. Eindhoven overcame Leicester City in the quarter-finals before scoring two late goals. Vitesse also impressed in their group stage with Rennes and Tottenham.

Sometimes the market is too slow to catch up with the strength of a league and I think that’s the case with Feyenoord and the Netherlands.

Combine that with an overrated Marseille side and I’d bet Feyenoord would avoid extra time, progressing by getting a result on the road at -140 or better.

To take: Feyenoord +0.5 (-130)