Neil Johnston
BBC Sport

Image source, Matthew Blackford

This is Matthew Blackford. He has travelled to Bilbao to watch his beloved Manchester United. With money tight and hotels in the city ramping up their prices, Matthew and his mates spent the night sleeping in a park in Bilbao.

He says it was worth it just to be in Bilbao to watch his beloved United.

"I'm with a few mates and we only arrived in Bilbao at 10.30 last night," Matthew tells me.

"We headed straight out for a few drinks. It only dawned on us later 'where are we going to sleep tonight?' We found some benches and it was alright to be fair. I managed to get my head down for three or four hours.

"I am pretty skint, but couldn’t help myself and wanted to try and get here. It cost £220 for travel here and back via different flights, trains and buses. I wasn’t paying silly hotel prices."

What are their plans if United beat Spurs later?

"We're going to party through the night. And then we're off to Tenerife tomorrow."

Matthew is in Bilbao with pals Connor, James, Suren and Enes.

The two clubs' Europa League odyssey has led to this.

It's seven hours until kick-off.

And it looks like everyone is having a great time in Bilbao.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham finished fourth in the league phase, just one place and one point behind final opponents Manchester United.

They won five and drew two of their eight league games, with their only defeat coming at Galatasaray.

Round of 16:

• AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham
• Tottenham 3-1 AZ Alkmaar

Quarter-final:

• Tottenham 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
• Eintracht Frankfurt 0-1 Tottenham

Semi-final:

• Tottenham 3-1 Bodo/Glimt
• Bodo/Glimt 0-2 Tottenham

Manchester United

Image source, Getty Images

But exactly how how did the two teams get here?

Well, Manchester United qualified directly for the last 16 after finishing third in the Europa League table.

They were the only unbeaten team in the league phase, after winning five and drawing three of their eight games.

Round of 16:

• Real Sociedad 1-1 Man Utd
• Man United 4-1 Real Sociedad

Quarter-final:

• Lyon 2-2 Man Utd
• Man Utd 5-4 Lyon (AET)

Semi-final:

• Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Man Utd
• Man Utd 4-1 Athletic Bilbao

By boat

Image source, PA

On foot

Image source, PA Media

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

It was Oleta Adams who put it best: "I don't care how you get here. Just get here if you can."

Manchester United

Image source, Getty Images

• Manchester United are the only unbeaten side in major European competition this season.
• The Red Devils have won nine and drawn five of their 14 Europa League games.
• They want to become only the fourth side to win the Europa League without losing a single match during the campaign.
• However, United have also gone eight league games without a win for the first time since an 11-game stretch between December 1989 and February 1990.
• United have lost 14 times in 26 league games under Ruben Amorim in his six months in charge.
• Amorim's record at his previous club Sporting, in Portugal, was 14 defeats in 167 league games.

Mark Ogden
Senior writer for ESPN on the Football Daily podcast

I was told in January that it got so bad that Ruben Amorim was considering offering to quit. Now I have put that to the club and the club said: "No, that wasn't the case. There was no formal move to quit."

But people at the club have said: "Yes, he did need reassurance that he was their guy and he would be backed."

As BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter, Ian Dennis pointed out earlier, the mood in Manchester United's news conference was much more relaxed.

But Ruben Amorim was asked whether he was grateful that he was not under the same pressure as Ange Postecoglou.

Manchester United's club captain, Bruno Fernandes, quickly interjected and said: "He is. Who told you he's not? He is."

Ange Postecoglou's press conference was never going to be light-hearted, especially after The Standard said Spurs' boss was "teetering between hero and clown."

Postecoglou said: "Irrespective of tomorrow, I'm not a clown and never will be," said Postecoglou.

"You really disappointed me that you used such terminology to describe a person that for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to a position where he is leading out a club in a European final."

The pressure placed upon both managers as a result of their club's shocking league form led to some interesting exchanges in Tuesday's pre-match news conferences...

Paul Robinson
Former England goalkeeper on the Football News Show

The two sides domestically are in poor form - 39 defeats combined between them this season. That's going to lead to a Champions League place.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Parking the two sides' European history to one side for a moment, something that Manchester United and Tottenham do have in common is their torrid form in the Premier League this season, which has been in stark contrast to their run to the Europa League final.

Only relegated sides Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester have had a worse record than United and Spurs.

Paul Robinson
Former England goalkeeper on the Football News Show

My son is 17. He was born two weeks before the last time Tottenham won a trophy.

It's a frightening amount of time. That 'Spursy' tag - that all disappears [if they win the Europa League].

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Peter Schmeichel knows what it takes to win a European trophy after helping Manchester United clinch the Champions League back in 1999.

We reported earlier that he believes United's history in European competition was "massively important", but can it really have a bearing on tonight's final?

Former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson has put the club's recent trophy record into stark context...

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham may have the longest history in the Uefa Cup, but Manchester United have the more recent success in the competition, with two visits to the final since it was rebranded as the Europa League.

They won it in 2017 under Jose Mourinho, after beating Ajax 2-0 in Stockholm.

In 2021 they reached the final again, this time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and faced Villarreal in Gdansk. It finished 1-1 after 120 minutes and the most incredible penalty shootout followed.

The Spanish side, managed by current Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, won 11-10 on penalties after United goalkeeper David de Gea had his effort saved.

In total, Manchester United have been in eight major European finals. They have won the Champions League three times (1968, 1999 and 2008) and lost in two other finals (2009 and 2011).

The club also won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1991.