Soccer-Man Utd face Real Sociedad in Europa League, Spurs draw AZ Alkmaar (updated)

AFC Ajax NV

21/02/2025 12:58

(Adds details)
       NYON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - 
    Manchester United were handed a tricky Europa League last 16
tie against Real Sociedad while Tottenham Hotspur will play
Dutch side AZ Alkmaar after the draw was held on Friday.
  
        The two English sides have struggled in the Premier
League this season, with Spurs 12th and United 15th, and winning
the second-tier Europa League may be the only way they can
return to the Champions League next season.
  
        United and Spurs finished in the top four of the Europa
League group stage to avoid the playoffs and will play their
respective second legs at home.
  
        United and Real Sociedad have met before in the Europa
League, with the English side knocking them out in the last 32
in 2021 while they won a game each in the group stage in 2022.
  
        Athletic Bilbao's San Mames Stadium will host the final
in May and the Spanish side will play Serie A side AS Roma.
  
        Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce, who squeezed through to the
playoffs in last place, knocked out Anderlecht with a 5-2
aggregate win after the second leg was briefly paused due to
crowd trouble, and they will face Scottish side Rangers.
  
        Should Fenerbahce reach the final, Mourinho could
potentially face three of his former teams -- Roma, United and
Spurs.
  
        German side Eintracht Frankfurt, who won the title in
2022, will face Eredivisie leaders Ajax Amsterdam while Greece's
Olympiacos, who have the competition's top scorer in Ayoub El
Kaabi (seven goals this season), take on Bodo/Glimt.
  
        The Norwegian side are on a fairytale run in the Europa
League where they overcame a 2-1 deficit against Twente in the
playoff and won 5-2 in extra time on Thursday (6-4 on aggregate)
to advance.
  
    
    EUROPA LEAGUE LAST 16
    Viktoria Plzen v Lazio
    Bodo/Glimt v Olympiacos
    Ajax Amsterdam v Eintracht Frankfurt
    AZ Alkmaar v Tottenham Hotspur
    AS Roma v Athletic Bilbao
    Fenerbahce v Rangers
    Steaua Bucharest v Olympique Lyonnais
    Real Sociedad v Manchester United
    * Team mentioned second play return leg at home
    
    EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS
    QF1: Bodo/Olympiacos v Plzen/Lazio
    QF2: AZ/Spurs v Ajax/Frankfurt
    QF3: Fenerbahce/Rangers v Roma/Bilbao
    QF4: Bucharest/Lyon v Sociedad/United
    * Team mentioned second play return leg at home
    
    EUROPA LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS
    Semi-final 1: QF2 winners v QF1 winners
    Semi-final 2: QF3 winners v QF4 winners
    * Team mentioned second play return leg at home
    
    FIRST AND SECOND LEG DATES
    Last 16: March 6 and March 13
    Quarter-finals: April 10 and April 17
    Semi-finals: May 1 and May 8
    Final: May 21

 (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru
Editing by Christian Radnedge)
 ((Rohith.Nair@thomsonreuters.com | Twitter: @RohithNair;))