The Europa League kicks into a higher gear this afternoon as the last-16 ties are confirmed and Manchester United and Tottenham will learn their opponents along with a possible route to the final. The Premier League pair may be struggling domestically, but remain the two clear favourites to lift the trophy at the end of the season.
United and Spurs already know they will be facing either Real Sociedad or AZ Alkmaar, with one getting the Spanish side and the other getting the Dutch outfit. Spurs have already face AZ during the League Phase, running out narrow 1-0 winners in north London. Sociedad are among the biggest threats to the English pair’s silverware hopes.
Rangers are also in the mix after finishing eighth in the League Phase, and wil be drawn against either Bodo/Glimt or Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce. Like the Champions League, the Europa League have also seen big names fall before the knockout stage proper with Galatasaray and Porto the biggest absentees from the last-16 draw.
Spurs and United, who cannot meet until the final, will also be keeping an eye on where Athletic Bilbao and Lazio are placed in the draw, given the quality they both possess. You can follow the draw below with our decided Standard Sport live blog!
Europa League last-16 draw
- Start time: 12pm GMT, Nyon
- How to watch for FREE
- Who can Man Utd face?
- Who can Tottenham face?
- How will the draw work?
Draw in full
12:26 , Alex YoungOlympiacos vs Bodo/Glimt
Rangers vs Fenerbahce
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Ajax
Lyon vs FCSB
Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar
Manchester United vs Real Sociedad
Lazio vs Viktoria Plzen
Athletic Bilbao vs Roma
Spurs will be happier than Manchester United after that.
Athletic Bilbao vs Roma
Lazio vs Viktoria Plzen
Manchester United vs Real Sociedad
Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar
Lyon vs FCSB
Rangers vs Fenerbahce
Olympiacos vs Bodo/Glimt
We’re currently being talked through how the draw works, as the routes to the final, via the quarter-finals and semi-finals, will also be mapped out.
A reminder that Manchester United and Tottenham will face either Real Sociedad or AZ Alkmaar.
Rangers will be drawn with either Bodo/Glimt or Fenerbahce.
Aritz Aduriz, most commonly known for his time with Athletic Bilbao, who host this year’s final, will help with the draw.
“The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been”, says Marchetti.
We have action. Here we go.
The stage, as they say, is set.
Right, almost time for Pedro Pinto and Giorgio Marchetti to move rooms and start the Europa League drawing of balls.
The Champions League draw has been made and all of Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa are on the same side.
You can read it here.
Unseeded teams
11:33 , Alex YoungThese eight qualifiers through the play-off stage will play the first leg at home.
- AZ Alkmaar
- Ajax
- Bodo/Glimt
- FCSB
- Fenerbahce
- Real Sociedad
- Roma
- Viktoria Plzen
Seeded teams
11:21 , Alex YoungSeeded teams, those who finished in the top eight of the League Phase, will play the second leg of the last-16 ties at home.
- Athletic Bilbao
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- Lazio
- Lyon
- Manchester United
- Olympiacos
- Rangers
- Tottenham
Once the last-16 stage draw is made, the exact dates of each fixture are expected to be confirmed by tomorrow morning.
The Champions League draw is about to begin. You can follow along with that draw here.
Dates
11:00 , Alex YoungThe final is in Bilbao this season. Here are all the key dates along the way.
- Round-of-16: March 6 and 13
- Quarter-finals: April 10 and 17
- Semi-finals: May 1 and 8
- Final: May 21
How will the draw work?
10:51 , Alex YoungSo, the new format means that teams can face one of two possible teams. Gone are the days when it was a free for all, for better or worse.
The seeding pairings are finalised in the League Phase, with the teams who finished first and second in one pair, third and fourth in another etc etc.
Each team in each seeding pairing will be put in opposite sides of the draw. As Man Utd and Tottenham finished in the same seeding pairing (third and fourth) they can only meet in the final.
Once the last-16 draw is made, both the quarter-finals and semi-finals draws will also be made and mapped out. So every team can work out how they may navigate a route to the final.
Two favourites
10:41 , Alex YoungManchester United and Tottenham may be toiling away in the bottom half of the Premier League, but remain the favourites to win the Europa League.
They are 5/1 each with the bookies to win the competition - with Spurs just shading them with some - and are each around 2/1 to reach the final.
Athletic Bilbao and Lazio are third and fourth in the betting markets. Real Sociedad, who one of Spurs or United will meet in the last-16 are considered fifth favourites.
Man Utd and Tottenham won't meet until final
10:35 , Alex YoungIt’s worth nothing that Manchester United and Tottenham will not meet until the final, should they both get that far.
As they finish third and fourth, respectively, in the League Phase, they are in a ‘seeding pairing’ together which puts them on opposite sides of the draw.
The two favourites, destined for the final?
Who can Tottenham face?
10:26 , Alex YoungWell, it’s a similar story for Spurs.
As a result of finishing fourth in the league phase, Tottenham could also have faced the winners of the knockout phase play-off ties between the 13th and 14th seeds, or the 19th and 20th seeds.
Spurs had already faced - and lost to - Galatasaray this season, and also sneaked past AZ.
However, there will be no repeat of their defeat to the Turkish, after AZ eased to a 6-3 aggregate win over Galatasaray.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, proved far too strong for Midtlylland as they won 7-3 on aggregate over the two legs.
Which means, Spurs can also face one of either Real Sociedad or AZ Alkmaar.
Who can Man Utd face?
10:16 , Alex YoungAs a result of finishing third in the league phase, Man United could have faced the winners of the knockout phase play-off ties between the 13th and 14th seeds, or the 19th and 20th seeds. Which were Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, Real Sociedad or Midtjylland.
With the second legs being played on Thursday, February 20, United’s potential opponents were whittled down to two.
Those two are AZ Alkmaar and Real Sociedad, after the pair eased to routine wins in the play-off round.
Who has qualified?
10:12 , Alex YoungJust 16 remain as the Europa League knockout stage begins.
- AZ Alkmaar
- Ajax
- Athletic Club
- Bodo/Glimt
- FCSB
- Fenerbahce
- Frankfurt
- Lazio
- Lyon
- Manchester United
- Olympiacos
- Rangers
- Real Sociedad
- Roma
- Tottenham
- Viktoria Plzen
How to watch Europa League last-16 draw
10:05 , Alex YoungTV channel and live stream: The draw will be streamed live and for free on the official UEFA website and YouTube channel, with television coverage available from 12pm on TNT Sports 1.
TNT Sports subscribers can also watch it live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Welcome
10:00 , Alex YoungGood morning and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Europa League last-16 draw.
All three British sides are seeded for the draw, having finished in the top eight of the League Phase, and were able to watch on as 24 teams were reduced to 16 last night.
Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers know they will face one of two teams. The action in Nyon kicks off from midday UK time.
Stick with us.
