Europa League playoff draw sets up Man United-Barca clash

Two of the world’s former high groups will battle it out for a spot in Europe’s second-tier membership competitors.

Europa League draw
This 12 months's Europa League knock-out spherical playoff draw has produced some don't-miss fixtures [Denis Balibouse/Reuters]

Europa League playoff draw briefly:

  • Barcelona v Manchester United
  • Juventus v Nantes
  • Sporting v Midtjylland
  • Shakhtar Donetsk v Rennes
  • Ajax v Union Berlin
  • Bayer Leverkusen v Monaco
  • Sevilla v PSV Eindhoven
  • Salzburg v Roma

Barcelona most likely by no means needed to be within the Europa League.

However now the Catalan giants – as soon as one of many greatest and most profitable groups on the planet – face Manchester United, one other previously unbeatable international model, simply to remain in Europe’s second-tier membership competitors.

Relegated from the Champions League after ending third of their group, Barca will tackle United, whose failure final 12 months to complete within the highest echelons of the English Premier League meant qualification for the Europa League as an alternative of its extra glamorous huge brother.

The winner of the playoff will undergo to the event’s final 16.

“The draw has given us essentially the most troublesome rival once more, like within the Champions League group stage,” Barca supervisor Xavi Hernandez stated after the draw on Monday. “Luck was not on our facet. Manchester United are an excellent rival, a historic membership – the worst that we may want for.”

One other web page of historical past

Barcelona and United have historical past, with Xavi’s males in blue and pink assembly the 2017 Europa League winners twice within the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, profitable on each events, whereas United misplaced each legs of the 2018-19 European Cup quarter-final assembly between the pair.

United completed second of their Europa League group this season on objective distinction behind Actual Sociedad.

The league’s eight group runners-up face eight third-placed sides from the Champions League group levels, with the winners of the two-legged playoffs progressing to the final 16.

Different highlights of the knock-out spherical playoff draw embrace Spain’s Sevilla – six-time Europa League winners – taking up Dutch facet PSV Eindhoven in what's more likely to be one other crackling matchup.

Elsewhere, Serie A’s Juventus tackle Ligue 1 crew Nantes, whereas Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma face RB Salzburg.

The primary legs of the ties can be performed on February 16, with the return match per week afterward February 23.

The ultimate can be performed on Might 31 at Budapest’s Puskas Area.

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