Ruben Amorim insists Manchester United are a superior team to the one that lost the Europa League final to Tottenham in May as the two clubs prepare to clash again this weekend.

United’s 1-0 defeat to Spurs at the San Mames in Bilbao meant they missed out to their Premier League rivals on Champions League football and a £100milion jackpot.

But after recovering from a shaky start to the new season with three wins and a draw, Amorim believes United are much better than the team that lost in Spain.

‘First of all the characteristics of the players,’ he said. ‘We have different characteristics in our team. But we also have a lot of players that played last year.

‘We are a better team, we play better, we understand the game better. I think we are more confident. We reached that final confident that we could win because we were doing well in Europe, but in this moment we play with a different confidence. We manage the moments of the game better.

‘If you remember that game, they had that shot on the goal that won the game. I expect a different game; that we can play better but also to have a little bit of luck of help us to win the game.’

Being out of Europe has given Amorim more time to work with his players on the training ground during the week when Tottenham and the other clubs representing England are in action. The 40-year-old said he can see the benefit, even though he would rather be in Spurs’ position.

‘It’s not the fact of seeing the positive, it’s using the positives,’ he added. ‘Any situation you have in life, you can look in the positive way or the bad way.

‘If you ask me if I prefer to be here with a cup, in the Champions League, more money, more players maybe, of course I will say yes. But you have the other side; more time to train, to know your players, to arrange everything. The connection between the staff, and prepare the future.

‘In the future it will be with European competition. We just try to use the positive thing of not playing games in the week, so yes I can see the positives.’