Why winning Europa League would be bad news for Manchester United’s 2021/22 Champions League campaign
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Updated 27/05/2021 at 00:07 GMT+1
Manchester United have already qualified for the group stages of next year’s Champions League but the outcome of their Europa League final clash with Villarreal could have big implications on which pot they fall into. The Red Devils may want to avoid the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG in the Champions League.
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Manchester United will be competing in the Champions League next season but victory against Villarreal in the Europa League final may have given them a difficult group-stage opponent.
Villarreal's victory against the Premier League runners-up booked them a spot in next season’s Champions League, while United have already qualified for the group stages of Europe’s elite competition.
United were set for a spot in Pot 2 for the group stage draw based on their league finish, but a win against the La Liga outfit would have moved them into Pot 1.
A defeat and entering Pot 2 could see them face teams like Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Lille, Sporting Lisbon and likely either Zenit or Ajax – the winners of their domestic leagues.
However, winning against Villarreal and finishing in Pot 1 would see them face trickier opposition.
Pot 2 sides could include the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, PSG and others.
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Will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be smiling when he discovers his Champions League group stage opponents?
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Even though Pot 2 arguably looks more difficult on paper, being in Pot 1 has clear advantages and would help in future UEFA seedings.
The remaining spots in Pot 2 will be filled from two of Borussia Dortmund, Porto and Chelsea - who play Manchester City in the Champions League final on Saturday
It’s difficult to predict how the remaining pots could play out just yet but RB Leipzig and Atalanta will definitely be in Pot 3 and Wolfsburg in Pot 4.
The draw for the group stage will see the 32 qualified teams split into four pots of eight.
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