The road to the Europa League final is now clearer for Manchester United, as their potential opponents were confirmed after the recent draw.
The Red Devils have drawn Real Sociedad in the round of 16, setting the stage for what could be a thrilling knockout campaign.
Who’s Joining the Round of 16?
The Europa League’s last-16 draw, which took place on Friday morning, revealed the matchups for the eight teams that advanced from the knockout play-offs.
Alongside Manchester United, teams like Tottenham, Rangers, Lazio, and Athletic Bilbao have made it through based on strong performances in the group stage.
These sides—United, Tottenham, Rangers, Lazio, Bilbao, Frankfurt, Lyon, and Olympiacos—earned automatic progression to the round of 16.
They were joined by clubs like Real Sociedad, Roma, Viktoria Plzen, AZ Alkmaar, Ajax, FCSB, and Fenerbahce.
With the bracket now set, teams can start to map out their potential routes to the final.
United’s Journey: What’s Next?
For Manchester United, the path to the final could be exciting yet challenging.
After facing Real Sociedad, they could meet Lyon or FCSB in the quarter-finals, the latter of which they comfortably defeated earlier in the group stage.
If they keep progressing, United’s semi-final could be even more intriguing.
Potential opponents include Rangers, Fenerbahce, Roma, or Bilbao.
A potential grudge match against former manager José Mourinho’s Roma would add extra spice to the campaign, especially after Mourinho’s side faces Rangers in their own round of 16 clash.
Tottenham’s Quest in Europe
Tottenham will look to break their recent European struggles, with a tough matchup against AZ Alkmaar in the last-16.
Their aim will be to push past this stage, something they haven’t done since their 2019 Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.
Should Spurs advance, they will face either Ajax or Frankfurt in the quarter-finals.
With the UEFA’s new seeding system, which prevents teams from facing each other until the final if they were in the same group phase, Tottenham and Manchester United will not meet until the final—if both can make it that far.
Other Key Matchups
Elsewhere in the competition, Lazio, who finished top of their group, will face Viktoria Plzen, while Athletic Bilbao will take on Roma in a Spanish-Italian clash.
The rest of the round of 16 sees Ajax pitted against Frankfurt, FCSB facing Lyon, and Bodo/Glimt taking on Olympiacos.
When Will the Action Start?
Fans don’t have to wait too long to see the drama unfold.
The first leg of these exciting knockout ties kicks off on March 6, with the return legs scheduled for March 13.
After that, there’s a four-week break before the quarter-finals begin on April 10.
Notably, two big names—Porto and Galatasaray—have been eliminated.
Porto lost a tight 4-3 aggregate scoreline to Roma, while Galatasaray fell 6-3 to AZ Alkmaar across both legs.
Europa League Last-16 Draw:
- Real Sociedad vs Manchester United
- AZ Alkmaar vs Tottenham
- Bodo/Glimt vs Olympiacos
- Fenerbahce vs Rangers
- Ajax vs Eintracht Frankfurt
- FCSB vs Lyon
- Viktoria Plzen vs Lazio
- Roma vs Athletic Bilbao
Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for the action to kick off, with high hopes for the teams still in the running.
The road to the final is getting closer, and we’ll be watching closely to see how it all plays out.
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