Europa League

That last question focused on the silverware, but all that glitters in the Europa League is not just the trophy.

There is more at stake, with the winners also awarded a place in next season's Champions League.

Winning this competition represents the only route back into Europe for Manchester United and Tottenham, who are both languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League.

The fact this journey could take them back into Europe's elite club competition is the very lucrative cherry sitting on top of this Europa League-shaped cake.

Manchester United and Tottenham are favourites to reach the Europa League final after both sides won the first leg of their semi-finals.

United host Athletic Bilbao having won 3-0 in Bilbao, while Spurs visit Norway with a 3-1 lead over Bodo/Glimt.

BBC Final Score pundits Fara Williams and Glenn Murray discuss which club needs the silverware more.

Image source, Getty Images

Facing an uphill task of overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit, Athletic Bilbao will be without the Williams brothers for tomorrow's return at Old Trafford.

Both Nico and Inaki Williams have not been included in Bilbao's 24-man travelling squad to England, with Nico suffering from a groin issue and Inaki picking up a hamstring strain.

The club's top scorer Oihan Sancet is also not part of the contingent. Sancet, who has 15 goals in the Spanish top division, had also missed the first leg in Bilbao.

Defender Dani Vivian is another Bilbao player who will not feature on Thursday after receiving a red card in the first leg for a foul on Rasmus Hojlund.

So good news is thin on the ground for Bilbao head coach Ernesto Valverde, but Oscar De Marcos and Unai Gomez have at least been passed fit.

Image source, Getty Images

It looks to have been all smiles on the training ground for Manchester United, and no wonder.

They have one foot in the Europa League final after last week's 3-0 win in the first leg against 10-man Athletic Bilbao.

Ruben Amorim's side will hope to finish the job in Old Trafford tomorrow and move one step closer to a European trophy and a place in next season's Champions League.

After Bilbao dominated the early stages of the first leg at a vociferous San Mames Stadium, the game turned dramatically in United's favour when Harry Maguire produced some good skill on the right before his cross was flicked on for Casemiro to head in at the half-hour mark.

It got even better for the visitors seven minutes later when, after a review by the video assistant referee, they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Rasmus Hojlund by Dani Vivian, who was subsequently sent off.

Bruno Fernandes coolly converted spot-kick before also adding a third goal to secure a 3-0 victory for the Premier League side.

Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea supporters, it would be great to hear your hopes and dreams for the second leg of your European semi-finals.

What would you like to see from your side and how you think it will pan out for them?

Would European success put a gloss on your season?

Get in touch via WhatsApp or text using the contact details above.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Manchester United opened their doors to the media this morning ahead of their Europa League semi-final second leg with Athletic Bilbao.

Ruben Amorim's side trained at 11:00 BST (they are always later than scheduled) with their press conference scheduled a couple of hours after that at 13:15 BST.

Alejandro Garnacho will be the player accompanying head coach Ruben Amorim as they answer questions.

It will be interesting to hear what Garnacho has to say because he doesn't do loads of media.

It will also be informative to hear how Amorim deals with any questions on skipper Bruno Fernandes.

United are adamant they have no intention of selling Fernandes but the expectation is Saudi Pro-League outfit Al-Hilal will make an attempt to sign the Portugal international ahead of their Club World Cup campaign.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Thank you for joining us this morning as we feasted on last night's Champions League offering.

Arsenal fans, don't worry, we will finish the day by looking ahead to tonight's second helping, as Mikel Arteta's side prepare to take on Paris St-Germain in the second leg of their semi-final at Parc des Prince.

But the filling in our Champions League sandwich, if you like, will be a side order of Europa League, and a bit of Conference League thrown in for good measure.

Coming up we have the latest news from Manchester United's training session before Thursday's second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao.

That will be followed by a United news conference at around 13:15 BST.

You can also expect the latest from Norway, where Tottenham will face Bodo/Glimt tomorrow in the other semi-final, and we will have news from the Chelsea camp before their Conference League last-four tie at home to Swedish side Djurgarden.

Image source, Getty Images

Davide Frattesi's extra-time winner was the final flourish of Inter Milan and Barcelona's extravagant Champions League semi-final tie.

The Italian midfielder's goal was the 13th over the two legs, matching the record haul for this stage of the competition.

But if new offside rules being proposed by Arsene Wenger had been introduced, the tie would never have got that far.

Wenger's proposed change would mean attackers are onside if any part of their body is in line with the last outfield defender.

The former Arsenal manager, who is now head of global development at world governing body Fifa, says it would restore an advantage to the attacker that many feel was eroded by the introduction of the video assistant referee (VAR).

Players are currently ruled offside if any part of the body, apart from hands and arms, is beyond the last defender.

That was the case in the first leg of Inter's victory over Barcelona, when Henrikh Mkhitaryan thought he had a fourth goal for the Serie A champions after poking home at the back post, but it was ruled out for offside, with the semi-automated system showing the narrowest of margins, shown in the graphic below.

Had that goal been allowed to stand, Francesco Acerbi's stoppage-time equaliser for Inter would have, in fact, been the winner.

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport reporter

Before we stray away from last night's Champions League reaction, we've got one last piece to bring you from a certain Arsene Wenger.

The former Arsenal boss has proposed some changes to the current offside rule...

And do us a favour, on the next post, give a thumbs up if you agree with Arsene's proposal and thumbs down if you believe things are perfectly fine as they are.

Jose Mourinho tells the story behind his emotional hug with Inter Milan player Marco Materazzi and his exit to Real Madrid after winning the Champions League in 2010.

Image source, Getty Images

Under Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho, they won the Champions League against Bayern Munich in 2010, and no Italian side has won the Champions League since.

Inter came close to winning it again in 2023 under current manager Simone Inzaghi but Manchester City midfielder Rodri scored the only goal for his side to clinch victory.

Inter have also won the European Cup in 1964 and 1965.

The north Italian-based side has also won, alongside those three Champions League cups, 20 Serie A titles, with their most recent being last year, eight Supercoppa Italiana and nine Coppa Italia.

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport reporter

I'm already excited to watch Acerbi marauding down the wing in the final.

Yamal this, Kvaratskhelia that.

Acerbi and Maguire are the new gen wingers that the world needs.

Image source, Getty Images

Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez speaking to Amazon Prime: "I am so happy, so proud of Inter Milan. I am so grateful to the fans and my family that are here today. I am just so happy that we've gone through.

"I wasn't in a great place and wasn't 100% going into today but the medical staff worked so hard to get me match fit and luckily I was able to play."

On whether this Inter Milan team can win the Champions League: "We will do what we can, there is just one more step to go. We got to the final in Istanbul in 2023 but now we want to go there and win it. We will do all we can to ensure we get Inter Milan to the summit of European football."

Image source, Getty Images

It is 15 years since Inter - managed by Jose Mourinho at the time - were crowned champions of Europe. No Italian side has won the Champions League since that victory over Bayern Munich in 2010.

Will that change at the end of the month?

While they weren't necessarily the obvious choice to win this year's competition, before a ball was kicked Opta did rate them as third favourites to go all the way behind Real Madrid and Manchester City. With both of those teams already out, Inter are now in the box seat.

And they went back in time to reach their second final in three seasons.

The 2023 runners-up to Manchester City are unbeaten in 16 home games in the Champions League - their longest undefeated run on their own turf in Europe since the 1980s.

Mina Rzouki
European football expert on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast

Simone Inzaghi has been under so much criticism as it looks like he’s not winning Serie A, but what he’s managed to do with these men, with lots of them ageing out any day now, I think it's incredible.

They’ve already faced Arsenal and had to put up a pretty solid defence to keep them out. With the way we’ve seen PSG dominate teams, perhaps they might face Arsenal. But both are so difficult to face. Inter are so desperate to actually win the final rather than get to another final.