Draw
Celta Vigo v FC Krasnodar
Apoel v Anderlecht
Schalke v Borussia Mönchengladbach
Lyon v Roma
FC Rostov v Manchester United
Olympiakos v Besiktas
Gent v Genk
FC Copenhagen v Ajax
As for Manchester United, they’ll take a tie with FC Rostov. That said, the Russians reached the Europa League largely thanks to a shock home win over Bayern Munich in their Champions League, so United won’t want to take them lightly. The tie also comes during a draining period for United. They’ll be in Russia on 9 March, travel to Chelsea in the FA Cup on 13 March and play the second leg on 16 March. Ouch. Luckily for Jose Mourinho, he has a big squad. There might even be some game time for the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Wayne Rooney. But that’s all from me for today. Thanks for reading. Bye!
We’ve got an all-Belgian tie, an all-German tie and a cracking match between Lyon and Roma to look forward to. Olympiakos v Besiktas looks tasty as well.
The draw is over. That was the draw. The ties will be played on 9 and 16 March.
Updated
FC Copenhagen v Ajax
KAA Gent v Genk
Olympiakos v Besiktas
Lyon v Roma
Schalke v Borussia Monchengladbach
Apoel FC v Anderlecht
Celta Vigo v FC Krasnodar
Former Bayern Munich defender Patrik Andersson will be pulling the balls out of the hat.
Giorgio Marchetti is master of ceremonies. He’s offering “warm congratulations” to every club in the last 16 and that makes it all worth the effort.
Who do Manchester United need to avoid? “Sevilla, of course,” parps Nathanael Balete. “They’ll win the Europa again.”
Off to Nyon we go! The draw’s set to begin. But first, a Uefa man is doing some talking on stage.
Not to come across all Brexit, but it feels like this is Manchester United’s competition to lose. Who can stop them? Roma, second in Serie A, are the likeliest challengers. But Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach are mid-table in Germany, as are Celta Vigo in Spain. Besiktas are a threat; Lyon, too. Anderlecht could be dark horses. Come on, European football experts. Educate me. Who should United be looking to avoid?
While we wait, here’s some pre-draw reading. It’s me on Tottenham’s failure to beat KAA Gent, the eighth best team in Belgium! Still, the Wembley arch looked nice last night.
Preamble
Hello. Welcome to the draw for the last 16 of the Europa League, featuring Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur .
Oh, Tottenham. You’ve really gone and done it this time. Gent! Gent, for crying out loud.
But enough about Spurs. This is an open draw, so there’s no more seeding or country protection. It promises to be a thrill-a-minute free-for-all in Nyon. Below are the sides involved. The fun begins at 12pm GMT.
Ajax (NED), Anderlecht (BEL), APOEL (CYP), Beşiktaş (TUR), Celta Vigo (ESP), Genk (BEL), Gent (BEL), Copenhagen (DEN), Krasnodar (RUS), Lyon (FRA), Manchester United (ENG), Mönchengladbach (GER), Olympiacos (GRE), Roma (ITA), Rostov (RUS). Schalke (GER)
Updated
