Friday’s Europa League draw has revealed some interesting matchups in this year’s competition. Despite being the second-tier European tournament, there are massive teams ready to play in the round of 16. Arsenal, Juventus and Manchester United have qualified for the next phase of the competition and now they know their opponents.
The trio have difficult matches in the round of 16
Premier League leaders Arsenal took on Portuguese giant Sporting CP. The Lions previously finished third in their Champions League group along with Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt. However, they qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League by defeating Midtjylland 5-1 on aggregate. The two clubs last met in 2018, with the Gunners securing a win and a draw against Sporting in the group stage.
Like Sporting, Juventus also finished third in their Champions League group. The Old Lady will now face Freiburg in the Europa League round of 16. Freiburg topped their group early in the season and currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga table. Juventus sit seventh in the Serie A standings but received a 15-point penalty earlier in the season.
Manchester United also face some pretty tough opposition. The Red Devils will play against Real Betis in the round of 16. Betis may not be considered a traditional powerhouse, but the Spanish team has been playing well under head coach Manuel Pellegrini. They went unbeaten in their Europa League group, which included Roma, earlier in the season. United qualified for the stage by impressively beating Barcelona in the round of 16.
Defined calendar for the two-game match schedule
All the first legs of the round of 16 will be played on Thursday, March 9. The return matches are set for a week later.
Europa League round of 16 draw:
Union Berlin vs Union Saint-Gilloise
Sevilla vs Fenerbahce
Juventus vs Freiburg
Bayer Leverkusen vs Ferencvaros
Sporting CP vs. Arsenal
Manchester United-Real Betis
Rome vs Real Sociedad
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Feyenoord
For readers in the United States, all matches are live on Paramount+. The CBS Sports streaming service is currently offering a free trial.
Photo: IMAGO / Nicolo Campo
