Manchester United still have something to play for vs Cardiff City
Manchester Evening News
9th May 2019
Manchester United may not have Champions League qualification to play for on the final day of the campaign but their game against Cardiff City is not a dead rubber.
That's because United's final position in the Premier League could determine whether or not they have to qualify for next season's Europa League.
United are currently sixth in the table but will finish in fifth position if they beat Cardiff and Arsenal fail to win their final game of the campaign away to Burnley.
If United do finish fifth, they will automatically qualify for the group stages of the Europa League regardless of what happens elsewhere.
However, if United finish in sixth there is a scenario that could see their season start with the Europa League second qualifying round on July 25 - more than two weeks before the Premier League's opening weekend.
Watford will secure automatic qualification for the Europa League group stages if they beat City in the FA Cup final on May 18. Should that happen and United also finish sixth, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men will go into the second qualifying round for the Europa League.
Should City win the FA Cup and United finish sixth, United will go straight into the group phase, with Wolves, already guaranteed a seventh-placed Premier League finish, going into Europa League qualifying and Watford missing out entirely.
Whether or not Arsenal qualify for the Champions League by winning this season's Europa League will have no bearing on whether United will need to qualify for next season's competition.
The maximum number of English teams in UEFA competitions is seven, so if Arsenal do win the Europa League there will be five English teams in the Champions League next season and two in the Europa League.
United will be desperate to avoid Europa League qualifying as they currently have a pre-season game against Spurs in Shanghai lined up for July 25.
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