Manchester United and Villareal will face each other in the final of the 2020-21 Europa League at the Gdansk Stadium on Wednesday. This will be the fifth time both sides face off at the continental level. While the Red Devils will play their eighth major European final, it will be Villareal’s first. Manchester United come riding on  the back of a 5-8 aggregate win over Roma and Unai Emery’s Villareal come with a 1-2 win over Arsenal. The Spanish side has scored 13 times in 14 matches in the Europa League – six of them coming from striker Gerard Moreno.  

Here are some key battles to watch out for as Manchester United take on Villareal in the Europa League final:

1) Edison Cavani vs Pau Torres

The 90 minutes at the Gdansk Stadium on Wednesday might determine Pau Torres’ fate in the summer transfer window. The 24-year-old is being  heavily linked with a number of European heavyweights after an impressive season with the ‘Yellow Submarines’, including Manchester United.

But before a potential move to Old Trafford, Torres will have to face a stern Edinson Cavani test. The former PSG striker contributed two goals in each leg of the semi-final against Roma. The Uruguyan hitman’s goals-per-minute ratio of 129 minutes is far ahead of fellow United attackers – Rashford (192), Greenwood (254) and Martial (346).

At the heart of Villarreal’s defense, Torres would have to put on his A-game to restrict Edinson Cavani.

2) Gerard Moreno vs Victor Lindelof

Gerard Moreno finished the La Liga campaign with 23 goals, only behind Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. Of the five games Moreno missed, Villarreal won just one. This is how important Gerard Moreno is to the team. He has started eight times in the Europa League and scored six goals. Moreno is expected to be the number one threat to Manchester United’s Harry Maguire-less defense on Wednesday.

Victor Lindelof is likely to lead United’s central defense. The Swedish player is under scrutiny from former players and pundits, including Paul Scholes.

With the transfer window approaching, United might look to rope in high-caliber players to partner Maguire at the back. The Red Devils have been linked with a number of players, including Villarreal’s Pau Torres, who has impressed in Spain this season.

Thus, the Europa League final will be a chance for Lindelof to put forward his best defensive game and stake his claim on the teamsheet. And to do that, he needs to keep in check the threat from Moreno and co. 

3) Bruno Fernandes vs Dani Parejo

Like Manchester United legend Eric Contana, Bruno Fernandes has been a key factor in Manchester United’s surge since his arrival in January, 2020. The 26-year-old has scored 40 goals since he joined from Sporting CP, and has assisted 19 times.

“A Europa League win for Manchester United would be a signal of improvement,” the Portuguese midfielder had said last month and now the team stands only one step away. Fernandes assisted Cavani’s goal in their semi-final second leg versus Roma and will undoubtedly be the main threat to the Villarreal defense as well.

Similarly, midfielder Dani Parejo has been feeding Villarreal’s frontline across competitions this season. He has won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and Villarreal will bank on his experience to get them through. Talking to UEFA ahead of the Europa League finals Parejo said that the finals are like a reward for his career. He also said that he believes manager Unai Emery can guide him and the club to European glory.