Struggling in the domestic league, Manchester United and Arsenal have been handed tough matches in the round of 32 of Uefa Europa League when the draw took place on Monday.
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United, having slipped into Europa League after crashing out of their group in the Champions League, face high-flying La Liga side Real Sociedad. David Silva’s new team are setting the pace in Spain this season.
Meanwhile Arsenal, who are in crisis in the Premier League but had a perfect record in Europe, take on Portuguese giants Benfica. The latter are placed second in Portugal’s top flight while Arsenal are starting at a relegation battle in the Premier League.
Tottenham face Austrian side Wolfsberger and Leicester City will take on Slavia Prague, while Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers play Belgian side Royal Antwerp.
Winners of Europa League get direct entry into next season’s Champions League.
The first legs of the knockout fixtures are scheduled for Thursday 18 February, with the second legs on 25 February. Seeded teams are at home in the second legs.
Uefa Europa League round of 32 fixtures (seeded teams on the left):
Wolfsberger v Tottenham
Dynamo Kyiv v Club Brugge
Real Sociedad v Manchester United
Benfica v Arsenal
Red Star Belgrade v AC Milan
Royal Antwerp v Rangers
Slavia Prague v Leicester
RB Salzburg v Villarreal
Braga v Roma
Krasnodar v Dinamo Zagreb
Young Boys v Bayer Leverkusen
Molde v Hoffenheim
Granada v Napoli
Maccabi Tel-Aviv v Shakhtar Donetsk
Lille v Ajax
Olympiakos v PSV Eindhoven
United dropped down to the Europa League, which they won in 2017, after RB Leipzig knocked them out of the Europe’s top competition at the group stage.
But Sociedad represent one of the toughest draws of the first knockout round.
They reclaimed top spot in La Liga on Sunday and made it out of the Europa League group stage thanks to a dramatic late draw at Napoli, combined with AZ Alkmaar’s last-gasp defeat at Rijeka.
Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli, who are four points behind leaders AC Milan in Serie A, will face another Spanish side in the shape of Granada, while Milan have been handed a tie with Red Star Belgrade in a clash of former European champions.
New Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will take on Swiss side Young Boys, while Ajax face current Ligue 1 leaders Lille after being eliminated from a tough Champions League group that contained Liverpool and Atalanta.
With AFP inputs
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