Race for Europe: The Possible Scenario that Could See Man United Miss out On European Football

• Manchester United will not play in the Champions League next season
• The Red Devils are in danger of missing out on Europe altogether
• A chain of events could see the club miss out on Europe for the first time in a decade

Manchester United’s season could have a dramatic ending if a series of results come to pass.

Erik ten Hag’s side are sixth on the log with 54 points and are mathematically out of the race for Champions League football.

Initially, there was an outside hope that the Red Devils could qualify for the Champions League by leapfrogging Tottenham, who are also experiencing a spectacular dip in form.

However, Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 win over PSG in the Champions League semi-final first leg confirmed only four English teams would be in the new-look competition next season.

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Meanwhile, Germany and Italy will have five teams each playing in the Champions League.

The Europa League equation

A quick look at the Premier League standings after 35 matches reveals that Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur will battle for the final Champions League spot.

Unai Emery’s side sits fourth with 67 points, while Spurs have 60 points with a game in hand.

The fifth-placed team will automatically qualify for the Europa League. Because Tottenham are six points better off than United in sixth, it may be safe to assume the identity of the Premier League top five is settled.

Can Man United qualify for Europa?

Erik ten Hag’s side, however, still have several routes to European qualification.

One path is through winning the FA Cup, since winners of England’s oldest competition occupy a place in the Europa League.

United will face familiar foes Manchester City at Wembley on May 25.

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As it stands, here is how European qualification will look like if Manchester United win the FA Cup.

Champions League: Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa

Europa League: Tottenham, Man Utd (as FA Cup winners)

UEFA Conference League: Newcastle

What if Man United fail to win the FA Cup?

If Manchester United fall to City in the FA Cup final, they risk missing out on Europa League qualification, particularly if they slip further down the Premier League standings.

The highest-ranked team not to qualify for Europe another way will be handed a Europa League spot if Man City, who are already in Champions League places, win the FA Cup.

As it stands, that team is United, who occupy sixth place after 35 matches.

How Man United can miss out on Europe

There is, however, an extraordinary scenario that could see Erik ten Hag and his wads miss out on Europe altogether.

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Chelsea’s late resurgence has seen Mauricio Pochettino’s side close the gap to United to three points. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United are also breathing down the Red Devils’ necks, sitting just one point behind in seventh place.

If both Newcastle and Chelsea leapfrog Manchester United on the log and the Red Devils are beaten by Man City in the FA Cup final, Old Trafford will experience solely domestic football in the 2024/25 campaign.

Man United’s remaining fixtures

With four games remaining, United need to start winning games.

Their next assignment is a tricky away fixture against Crystal Palace on Monday, May 6, per Sky Sports.

Six days later, United will host title contenders Arsenal as they hope to dent the Gunners’ hopes for a first league title in two decades.

On May 15, Ten Hag’s side have another home game against Newcastle, and their league campaign will conclude with an away trip to Burnley on May 19.

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Finally, their penultimate game of the season will be against Man City in the FA Cup final on May 25.

Projected teams to play in the UCL

Sports Brief also reported on all the projected teams that will play in next year’s Champions League.

The 2024/25 edition of the competition will have a completely different look, with the number of teams increasing from 32 to 36.

Already, several teams across Europe have confirmed their spots, with Manchester City and Arsenal among those who have mathematically qualified.