Full Europa League draw as Man Utd, Tottenham and Rangers paths made clearer.
The Europa League playoffs see teams who finished ninth to 24th go head-to-head as they learn their bracket position, while Manchester United and Spurs must wait to learn their next opponents.
Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers have had their paths to Europa League glory made slightly clearer, following the competition’s draw for the play-off round.
The Premier League duo have already qualified for the last-16 of the competition, and cannot face each other until the tournament’s final having been paired together, but do not yet know the half of the draw they will find themselves. They have however learned the fixtures that will produce the teams they face in the next round.
The pair will face either the winners of AZ Alkmaar vs Galatasaray or FC Midtjylland vs Real Sociedad. The ties will take place in the opposite side of the bracket, ensuring Spurs and United are kept apart.
Rangers, who have been paired with Olympiacos after finishing eighth in the league stage, will await the winners of either Twente vs Bodo/Glimt or Fenerbahce vs Anderlecht.
The full draw for the playoff round is: Twente vs Bodo/Glimt, Fenerbahce vs Anderlecht, Union Saint-Gilloise vs Ajax, POAK vs FCSB, AZ Alkmaar vs Galatasaray, Midtjylland vs Real Sociedad, Ferencvarosi vs Viktoria Plzen and Porto vs Roma.
The play-off fixtures will see their first legs take place on February 13, and the return game on February 20. The round-of-16 draw then takes place on Friday February 21: this is when the eight teams already through will discover which side of the bracket they are placed in.
United, Spurs and Rangers are joined by Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, Lyon, Eintracht Frankfurt and Olympiacos in the last 16. They will play the second leg at home in the round of 16.
The UEFA Europa League play-off draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon (
FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Lazio and Athletic Bilbao will be eventually find themselves in the opposite side of the bracket having been paired together, after finishing as the top two sides of the league stage. Lyon and Frankfurt will also avoid each other until the tournament’s finale in Bilbao should they make it.
Postecoglou was equally happy having seen academy products Mikey Moore, Dane Scarlett and Damola Ajayi score in their win over Elfsborg. “It’s been a pretty good European campaign for us,” Postecoglou said.
“We have had to deal with some adversity in it. Even the first game we played here I remember we were down to 10 men after about 10 minutes.
“We have dealt with it pretty well considering the group we have got. We have put ourselves in a great position. We are through to the round of 16 and have missed the play-off game which gives us a couple of more weeks to get players back.
“So hopefully by the time the knockout rounds come we will have some more fit bodies to help the group and it is an exciting challenge for us.”
