Thanks to football’s COVID-19 enforced break, the 2019/20 Europa League has been going on for an eternity.
It’s been so endless, the draw for the qualifying stages of next season’s competition is has already taken place. Wolves’ run to the quarter-finals started more than a year ago.
Before we find out who will come out on top when the mighty Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar take on the even mightier Prishtina of Kosovo, the winners of the current competition need to be crowned.
Everything is set to be decided in a mini, World Cup style tournament in Germany next week and 90min has had a go at predicting how everything is going to turn out.
Kicking off proceedings on Monday is Manchester United vs Copenhagen in Cologne. This reeks of a 2009 Champions League group stage tie but with both clubs’ stock falling considerably in recent times, they’ll have to settle for a meeting in Europe’s second-rate club competition.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be desperate to win the competition and are likely to pull out all the stops against the Danish giants. It won’t be an easy task but a full strength Red Devils side should find a way to progress.
Next up, it’s the tie of the round – Inter vs Bayer Leverkusen. Two sides teeming with attacking talent, although you get the feeling this will be the best chance Peter Bosz’s side get to lift some European silverware in some time, with Kai Havertz’s exit looming. It’s going to be tight but after ending the Serie A season in flying form, Antonio Conte’s side are favourites.
From the standout game of the quarter-finals to the ugly duckling, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel is unlikely to attract much of a television audience outside of Ukraine and Switzerland. Shakhtar once again won their domestic league at a canter this season while their opponents faltered, eventually finishing third.
As well as leading the form table, the Ukrainian side also have a far superior squad and should dispatch of FCB fairly comfortably. You never know with one-off games though.
Finally, Wolves – who started their Europa League campaign against Belfast-based Crusaders over a year ago – face the tough task of a game against competition specialists Sevilla. The La Liga side have won the Europa League a record five times but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have all the tools required to best them on the night.
Manchester United vs Copenhagen – Manchester United progress
Inter vs Bayer Leverkusen – Inter progress
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel – Shakhtar Donetsk progress
Wolves vs Sevilla – Wolves progress
Here we are then. The hypothetical final four. Things are really starting to hypothetically heat up!
Kicking things off on Sunday 16 August, it’s a mouth watering all-Premier League tie that is bound to make you finally care about a competition that you’ve been ignoring all season. In the red corner, the clear favourites United. In the amber corner, a Wolves team running on fumes as their never-ending 2019/20 campaign finally draws to a close.
You know what? This Wolves squad is a special bunch. Who are we to bet against them completing a couple more miracles before their limbs fall off due to fatigue? Expect die-hard Liverpool fan Conor Coady to play a key part in the Red Devils’ undoing. You know, just to add insult to injury.
Who will they be facing in the final, we hear you ask?
Well, as much as Inter love to bottle a good chance at winning some silverware, as much as Antonio Conte’s record in Europe is embarrassingly poor and as much as Shakhtar’s team of Brazilian, Football Manager regens will pose a tough test, the Nerazzurri will probably progress.
Manchester United vs Wolves – Wolves progress
Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk – Inter progress
To recap then, we’re backing Inter to face Wolves in the 2020 Europa League in Cologne on 21 August.
It’s bound to be a fascinating tactical battle. In fact, we’re already picturing the football hipsters salivating at the thought of Nuno vs Conte – the battle of the back threes. Spine-tingling stuff indeed.
In terms of the result, it’s hard to look past Inter but Wolves could definitely cause them some problems. The thought of facing Adama Traore is bound to give Ashley Young nightmares and the battle for supremacy between the four wing-backs in general will be key.
Despite this, we’re still backing Inter to get the job done. The silverware should be enough for Conte to stave off the threat of redundancy for another season and successfully challenge a dwindling Juventus for the Scudetto during the 2020/21 campaign.