The UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off draw which took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on Monday 7 November, will see Barcelona face Manchester United as well as other ties.
Erik ten Hag’s United have got arguably the toughest draw possible against Barcelona; who for all their financial instability off the pitch will look to take something out of the Europa League. Barca still have Robert Lewandowski up front, two young geniuses in Pedri and Gavi, plus Frenkie de Jong in midfield.
Manchester United on the other hand have struggled to find form this season. With Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Casemiro, they will have some experienced hands in their team. Currently, they sit 5th in the Premier League table.
The other fixtures include Juventus v Nantes, Sporting CP v Midtjylland, Shakhtar Donetsk v Rennes, Ajax v Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen v Monaco, Sevilla v PSV, Salzburg v Roma.
Read more: Arsenal continue unbeaten run in Europa League
The UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs were introduced last season. There are 16 teams involved: the eight runners-up from the Europa League group stage; and the eight third-placed teams from the UEFA Champions League group stage.
The eight runners-up from the Europa League group stage are seeded; the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage are unseeded. The winners of the eight play-off ties advance to March’s Europa League round of 16. During the round of 16, they will contest with the eight group stage winners.
