Man United’s Path to the Europa League Final Revealed
The Europa League draw has now given Manchester United a clearer idea of their journey toward the final.
The team will face Real Sociedad in the round of 16, marking the beginning of a challenging route in the competition. But what’s next for the Red Devils as they aim for European glory?
Europa League Draw Details
The draw for the round of 16 took place on Friday, and it’s set the stage for some exciting matchups.
The top eight teams from the group stage automatically advanced, alongside the eight winners from the knockout play-offs.
These teams include Manchester United, Tottenham, Rangers, Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, Frankfurt, Lyon, and Olympiacos.
Joining them in the next round are Real Sociedad, Roma, Viktoria Plzen, Bodo/Glimt, AZ Alkmaar, Ajax, FCSB, and Fenerbahce.
The draw also set the brackets, which means these teams can now plan their potential routes all the way to the final.
United’s Potential Opponents
For Manchester United, their immediate focus is on Real Sociedad, but if they progress, the next challenge could be Lyon or FCSB in the quarter-finals.
United previously defeated FCSB 2-0 in the group phase, so they’ll be hoping for another successful encounter.
Looking even further ahead, a potential semi-final clash could see United face Rangers, Fenerbahce, Roma, or Athletic Bilbao.
If the latter happens, fans might get a thrilling reunion with former boss José Mourinho, who could have a second shot at his former club after facing United in the group stage last October.
But first, Mourinho’s Roma will have to get past Rangers.
Tottenham’s Europa League Road
Tottenham is also aiming to go far this year, and their first hurdle is AZ Alkmaar.
This marks a significant opportunity for Spurs to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since their heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final.
Should they advance, Tottenham will face either Ajax or Frankfurt in the next round.
Interestingly, thanks to UEFA’s new ‘tennis’ style seeding, United and Spurs are on opposite ends of the bracket, meaning they won’t meet until the final.
The Rest of the Draw
Here’s how the rest of the round-of-16 matchups look:
- Ajax vs Frankfurt
- FCSB vs Lyon
- Bodo/Glimt vs Olympiacos
- Fenerbahce vs Rangers
- Viktoria Plzen vs Lazio
- Roma vs Athletic Bilbao
These matches promise to be full of drama, and fans won’t have to wait long for the action to kick off—March 6 is the date for the first legs, with the return legs scheduled for March 13.
A Busy Schedule Ahead
After the round of 16, there’s a bit of a break before the quarter-finals start on April 10, giving teams some time to recharge.
But before that, the knockout stage promises to be intense, with some of Europe’s best clubs battling it out for a place in the 2025 final.
Notably, two big names—Porto and Galatasaray—won’t be part of this year’s competition.
Porto was knocked out by Roma after a 4-3 aggregate loss, while Galatasaray fell to AZ Alkmaar with a 6-3 defeat.
Europa League Last-16 Draw Recap
- 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
With the draw set, the teams now turn their focus to the first legs, which will be a critical part of determining who moves forward in this thrilling tournament.