Europa League Offers Struggling Manchester United, Tottenham Champions League Lifeline

Making it into the Premier League's top four this season is going impossible for Manchester United and Tottenham this season after indifferent Premier League campaigns.

Both football giants are struggling to keep head above water in the league and actually have an outside chance of being dragged into a relegation scrap. They are currently closer to the relegation positions than the top four, with Manchester United are currently 13th in the league on 26 points and Tottenham 15th on 24.

United are 10 points ahead of 18th-placed Ipswich. but 16 points adrift off fourth-placed Chelsea after Sunday's 3-1 home defeat to Brighton.

However, both teams have one last shot at Champions League football next season via the Europa League, which resumes on Thursday. As in the past, the winner of Europe's second-tier club competition gains automatic entry into the Champions League group stage.

United sit seventh in the 36-team Europa League table ahead of Thursday's at home to Scottish giants Rangers.