Who could Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers face in UEFA Europa League last 16? Play-off draw implications
Published 20/02/2025 at 23:27 GMT
The league phase may be over, but there is still so much more to come from this season's UEFA Europa League. The draw for the play-offs is locked in, and with some of the most famous football clubs in Europe waiting in the last 16, there is plenty on the line for those involved. Here is everything you need to know, including Manchester United and Tottenham's potential opponents in the last 16.
Highlights: Dalot and Mainoo book last-16 spot for Man Utd
Video credit: TNT Sports
The UEFA Europa League is a competition quite like no other, pitting some of the elite clubs across the continent against those not so renowned, and the knockout phase took shape on Friday following the play-off draw.
Some of Europe's greatest clubs were involved in the draw, and there are some fascinating fixtures on display - with plenty on the line as just eight spots in the last 16 remain.
Those representing the Premier League - namely Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur - secured victories on the final matchday of the league phase to make their spot safe, but some were not so fortunate.
With that in mind, here is everything you need to know about the Europa League knockout phase.
Who could Man Utd, Spurs and Rangers face in UEFA Europa League last 16?
The draw for the last 16 will take place on Friday, February 21, so the top eight do not have long to wait to learn their fate.
However, the new format means each team has two possible opponents at this stage.
All three British teams progressed automatically to the last 16 after cementing their places in the top eight in the final round of fixtures.
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Highlights: Young guns fire Spurs to last 16 & ease pressure on Postecoglou
Video credit: TNT Sports
Manchester United finished the league phase in third despite being the only team in the competition not to lose a game.
The Red Devils are now set to face either AZ Alkmaar or Real Sociedad when their UEFA Europa League campaign resumes.
Meanwhile, Tottenham finished one place behind their Premier League rivals in fourth, meaning they have the same two possible opponents as United in the last 16.
AZ Alkmaar dispatched Galatasaray 4-1 in their play-off first-leg in the Netherlands before drawing 2-2 away from home, while Real Sociedad eased to a 7-3 aggregate win over Danish champions Midtjylland.
Rangers finished eighth in the league phase table after they secured a 2-1 win over Union Saint-Gilloise on matchday eight.
They will play either Fenerbahce or Bodo/Glimt in the last 16.
Fenerbahce trumped Anderlecht 5-2 over two legs, while Bodo/Glimt needed extra time to see off Twente 6-4 on aggregate amid dramatic stoppage-time scenes.
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'Incredible scenes' - Three injury-time goals sees Bodo/Glimt-Twente go to extra-time
Video credit: TNT Sports
Full UEFA Europa League knockout phase play-off draw and path to quarter-finals
- Ferencvaros 1-3 Viktoria Plzen
- FC Porto 3-4 AS Roma
The winners will face either Lazio or Athletic Bilbao
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- FC Twente 4-6 Bodo/Glimt
- Fenerbahce 5-2 Anderlecht
The winners will face Rangers or Olympiacos
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- Union SG 2-3 Ajax
- PAOK 1-4 FCSB
The winners will face either Lyon or Eintracht Frankfurt
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- AZ Alkmaar 6-3 Galatasaray
- Midtjylland 3-7 Real Sociedad
The winners will face Tottenham or Manchester United
The first legs of the knockout phase play-offs are on February 13, with the second legs on February 20.
How have Mourinho's Fenerbahce fared in the UEFA Europa League play-offs?
Jose Mourinho is a regular in Europe's esteemed competitions, but faces a new kind of challenge as he looks to guide Turkish side Fenerbahce to Europa League glory.
His side just about squirmed into a play-off spot in the league phase standings, occupying 24th. However, Fenerbahce took a big step towards the Europa League round of 16 after a dominant 3-0 win over Anderlecht in the first leg of their knockout round tie in Istanbul.
And they made sure of their last-16 spot with a 2-2 draw in Belgium.
The self-proclaimed 'Special One' is currently enjoying his side's 15-game unbeaten streak - a run which includes 11 wins and 4 draws.
Fenerbahce will meet either Rangers or Olympiacos in the last 16.
How does the bracket format work?
From the knockout phase play-off stage onwards, the UEFA Europa League takes a bracket format.
So how does it work? Sides who finished between ninth and 16th in the league phase standings are seeded for the play-offs, while those between 17th and 24th are unseeded.
Teams are then paired by their final position in the league phase table, so, ninth and 10th are paired, 11th and 12th, etc, creating four pairs of seeded teams, and four pairs of unseeded teams.
Ahead of Friday's draw, each team involved knew their potential play-off opponents. Those positioned 23rd and 24th would meet those placed ninth or 10th. And it continues in that exact manner, 21st and 22nd clashing against teams placed either 11th or 12th, and so on.
But what is the significance of the bracket format?
From here, teams who were paired together will split off into separate sides of the draw, meaning they cannot meet until the final.
During the draw, unseeded teams (17th-24th) were first drawn into a bracket position, and the seeded teams are drawn thereafter - forming the round of play-off fixtures.
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Highlights: Joyous Rangers sneak into top eight after nervy Ibrox victory
Video credit: TNT Sports
But the bracket is significant in splitting up some of the competition's well-matched sides. And the same will occur when the last 16 draw is made in February.
The winners of the play-off tie will be drawn between their corresponding, potential last 16 opponents. For example, Manchester United could face one of AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Real Sociedad or Galatasaray in the knockouts.
Ruben Amorim's side will not learn their fate until the draw is made, but they are guaranteed to land on the opposite side of the draw to Tottenham - due to being paired by their third and fourth-placed finishes.
Can teams from the same country face each other?
Two teams from the same national association can be drawn against each other from the knockout phase play-offs onwards.
While this did not materialise at this particular point of the competition, it did occur in the UEFA Champions League play-off draw, with Paris Saint-Germain and Brest set to clash for a last-16 spot.
To add another layer of intrigue, clubs can also face sides they played during the league phase.
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