The 2024/25 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals threw up perhaps the wildest footballing action of the year. Final hosts Athletic Bilbao managed to hold off a valiant Rangers to progress to the semifinals of a European competition for the first time in 13 years, while Spurs managed to upset the betting odds and defeat Frankfurt on enemy territory.
It caused quite a stir! Heading into that clash, online crypto betting sites such as https://thunderpick.io/sports made the Germans the 7/10 favorite to progress, but instead, Dominic Solanke’s penalty on the stroke of halftime handed the victory to the visitors. And that was just the start of the drama.
Lazio Stunned in Rome
In the eternal city, Lazio managed to overturn their 2-0 first-leg deficit against Norwegian outfit Bodø/Glimt and take their respective clash to extra time. There, the Italian side managed to make it 3-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate when Boulaye Dia netted nine minutes into the additional period. But the Nordic outfit hadn’t come this far to simply give up.
11 minutes before the end of extra time, Andreas Helmersen managed to drag his side level with a header that beat Lazio keeper Christos Mandas. That forced a penalty shootout, and it looked as though it would be the Greek shot-stopper who would be the hero when he saved Jens Hauge’s first spot kick. But that was just the beginning.
Dia scored his penalty to give his side the lead, but back-to-back misses from Loum Tchaouna and Tijjani Noslin left the Norwegian underdogs on the brink. Their captain, Patrick Berg, stood up to take the decider, but blazed high into the Roman night sky and opened the door for Lazio to tie things up. Unfortunately for them, talismanic striker Valentin Castellanos missed his spot kick and confirmed his side’s defeat, making Bodø/Glimt the first-ever Norwegian team to reach the semifinals of a UEFA competition.
Manchester United Come Back From the Dead
Over in Manchester, even wilder scenes were unfolding. Manchester United threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 after 90 minutes at home to Lyon. Then, the ten men of the visitors scored two goals in five minutes to put one foot in the semifinals. But when all hope was lost, the Red Devils summoned the spirit of their famous Champions League comeback of 1999 when their team officially confirmed its status as one of the best-ranked on the planet.
United needed two goals to force a penalty shootout, but somehow they found three. Bruno Fernandes pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 114th minute, before Kobbie Mainoo leveled things up as extra time ticked into injury time. Thinking the drama was done, Old Trafford was already in raptures, but the famous old stadium was sent into absolute delirium when Harry Maguire powered home a bullet header barely 60 seconds later to secure perhaps the greatest comeback in the history of the Europa League.
Now, the final four are set in stone, but who do the bookies make the favorites to reign supreme?
Tottenham Hotspur
After their valiant effort in Frankfurt, the bookies make Spurs the 13/8 favorites to win the Europa League this season. Should they live up to the billing, the triumph would be the club’s first-ever European trophy, as well as a first piece of silverware overall since the North Londoners managed to win the English League Cup under Juande Ramos back in 2008.
Despite progressing to the final four, their 2024/25 season has been a disastrous one for Ange Postecoglou’s men. The club currently sits way down in 15th in the Premier League table, and had they lost to Frankfurt, the maverick Australian manager would probably have been sacked. He may still well be at the end of the season even if Spurs win the tournament, but what a way to bow out it would be if he could lead them to their first-ever European trophy.
Athletic Bilbao
While Spurs have had a disastrous season, Athletic Bilbao certainly haven’t. They currently sit in the top four of La Liga and look set to secure a return to the Champions League next season. However, the Lions have their eyes firmly set on the Europa League prize, especially considering their state-of-the-art San Mames stadium will be hosting the showpiece on May 21st.
The bookies make them a 2/1 contender to not just reach the final, but lift the famous giant trophy in front of their adoring public. With superstars such as the Williams brothers of Nico and Inak on either flank, they will certainly take some stopping.
Manchester United
Similar to Spurs, Manchester United has endured a miserable season, but they have a shot at redemption in the Europa League and are priced at 9/4 to go all the way. Winning the tournament will secure a spot in the Champions League next term.
Their sensational comeback against Lyon, however, could well be the turning point of the Ruben Amorim era. They will face Bilbao in the next round, and beating the Spaniards will take a herculean effort, but after the turnaround in the quarterfinals, they will be feeling like anything is possible.
Bodø/Glimt
Finally, we have our Norwegian underdogs, Bodø/Glimt, who are priced at 12/1 to complete the shock of all shocks. The town the club represents has a population of just 53,000 people, meaning that the entire town and then some could comfortably fit inside the 62,000-capacity home of semi-final opponents Tottenham Hotspur. However, the Arctic Circle outfit has beaten the likes of Lazio, Roma, Olympiacos, and Celtic in recent campaigns, and they will be aiming to add Spurs to that long list of scalps.
