Both Manchester United and Tottenham are underperforming in the Premier League. That's why their target is to win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions league. But that's also very difficult.
Manchester United will play against lyon in the quarter-finals. lyon is a strong team. This team has performed well in the Europa League platform and even in the last few matches of Ligue 1, Lyon's players have been able to play well.
Tottenham is going to play against frankfurt. Frankfurt is one of the most renowned teams in the Bundesliga. Frankfurt has qualified for the quarter-finals by defeating a strong opponent like Ajax. So this team cannot be underestimated in any way.
Yes, their chances of improving their position to finish in the European Zone are very small because the competition in the EPL this season is much more competitive than the previous season. There is no other way for Man United and Tottenham than winning the Europa League trophy if they want to appear in European competitions next season.
Man United must be wary of Lyon's surprise because the Ligue 1 team has played very well this season, they have always played aggressively and have been able to put pressure on every opponent they face. Frankfurt cannot be underestimated, this game is clearly very tough for Tottenham because the opponent they face this time is very experienced in this competition, besides, their performance is still very stable.
It is not only about the competition at Premier league being better, but these two teams being a lot worse than they used to be, and that has caused these two teams resulting in bad rankings as well. United and Spurs do not look good enough for Europa neither, while their opponents may look strong, any team looks strong against United and Spurs, which is why their problem isn't who they are facing, it is about how they are much worse.
If it was a few years ago, these teams both would have easier time beating these opponents. So, while there is still a chance that they can go to next stage, or maybe just one of them, the reality is they won't be doing great afterwards, and there is a big chance they both could lose.