Eighth final for United
This will be Manchester United’s eighth major European final, the second-most of any English club after Liverpool (14). They have been crowned winners in five of the previous seven finals, losing only against Barcelona in the Champions League in both 2008-09 and 2010-11.
Milestone for Villarreal
Villarreal have reached a major European final for the first time in their history, becoming the 11th different Spanish side to do so. The previous two Spanish sides to reach a major European final for the first time also faced an English opponent in that match; Alaves 4-5 Liverpool in the 2000-01 Uefa Cup and Sevilla 4-0 Middlesbrough in the 2005-06 Uefa Cup.
Another star for Solskjaer’s career
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaerr will contest only his second final in his managerial career, having won the 2013 Norwegian Cup with Molde. Solskjaer would be the first Norwegian manager to win a major European trophy.
Emery on the edge of history
Villarreal boss Unai Emery has the won the Europa League on three occasions (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16) and could become the first manager to win either the Uefa Cup or Europa League four times, surpassing Giovanni Trapattoni.
Bacca eyes Crespo record
Villarreal’s Carlos Bacca scored a brace in the 2014-15 Europa League final for Sevilla; he could become the first player to score in a major European final for two teams from the same nation since Hernan Crespo (1998-99 Uefa Cup with Parma, 2004-05 Champions League with Milan). Bacca would be the first player to do so for two Spanish teams.
Cavani could match Drogba
Edinson Cavani has scored five goals and provided two assists in only 247 minutes of Europa League action this season, averaging either a goal or an assist every 35 minutes; the best return of any player with at least 200 minutes played in the competition in this campaign.
If he scores, Cavani could be the third player aged 34 or above to do so in a major European final for an English club after Gary McAllister (36) for Liverpool in the Uefa Cup final against Alaves in 2000-01 and Didier Drogba (34) for Chelsea in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 2011-12.
