Manchester United and Spurs Set to Discover Europa League Opponents
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are just one step away from discovering their Europa League opponents, as the full list of 36 teams has been confirmed ahead of Friday’s draw.
The two Premier League teams will learn who they’ll be facing in the revamped league format, which features eight games for each team – four at home and four away.
The top eight teams will progress directly to the last 16, while teams ranked between ninth and 24th will enter a playoff round to join them. Clubs who finish below 24th will be eliminated from European competition altogether.
The draw, scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon, will follow the same format as the one conducted for the Champions League on Thursday evening. Manchester United, Spurs, and the other 34 competing teams will each face eight other sides to determine where they finish in the league phase.
The top eight progress directly to the last 16, while teams ranked between ninth and 24th will enter a play off round to join them. Clubs who end the league phase below 24th will be eliminated from European competition altogether.
The Europa League projected pots have been confirmed, with Manchester United and Tottenham featuring in Pot 1 alongside Roma, Porto, Ajax, and Rangers. Real Sociedad and Lyon are among the teams to avoid in Pot 2, while Galatasaray headlines Pot 3.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roma | Real Sociedad | Qarabag | Athletic Bilbao |
| Manchester United | AZ Alkmaar | Galatasaray | Hoffenheim |
| Porto | Braga | Viktoria Plzen | Nice |
| Ajax | Olympiacos | Bodo/Glimt | Anderlecht |
| Rangers | Lyon | Union SG | Twente |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | PAOK | Dynamo Kyiv | Besiktas |
| Lazio | Fenerbahce | Ludogorets | FCSB |
| Tottenham | Maccabi Tel Aviv | Midtjylland | FK Rigas |
| Slavia Prague | Ferencvaros | Malmo | Elfsborg |
United and Spurs cannot be drawn together, and clubs can only face a maximum of two teams from each country. The full list of fixtures and when they will be staged will be published on Saturday.
The two sides will harbour hopes of lifting the trophy in Bilbao next May, with victory in the tournament guaranteeing a spot in the Champions League.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Europa League draw and fixtures.