Full Europa League draw: Man Utd and Spurs find out their opponents for the round of 16
In the Europa League last 16, Manchester United will play Real Sociedad, Tottenham will play AZ Alkmaar, and Rangers will play Fenerbahce. The first and second legs of the match will be conducted on March 6 and March 13, respectively, with the final scheduled for May 21 in Bilbao.
Ruben Amorim's United placed third in the Europa League's league phase despite having a difficult season in the Premier League.
On March 6, they will go to San Sebastian for the opening leg, and a week later, they will return to play Real Sociedad, who advanced to this level by defeating Midtjylland of Denmark in the play-off round.
The clubs have played each other in European competition on multiple occasions in recent years. In 2021, United won a Europa League knockout phase play-off match, and in 2022–2023, both teams won away games in the group stage. They also played each other in the 2013 Champions League group stage.
The victor will face either Lyon or FCSB in the round of eight. Last month, the Romanians' final group-phase match ended in a 2-0 home loss to United.
In the opening leg of their matchup, which coach Mourinho won with United in 2017, Fenerbahce will host Rangers, the 2022 finalists, in Istanbul. As Porto's manager in 2003, he also won the UEFA Cup, its precursor.
If Fenerbahce prevails, Mourinho might face his former team, Roma, with whom he won the Europa Conference League in 2022, in the quarterfinals.
However, Athletic Bilbao, who are committed to making it all the way to this season's final, which will be played at their home in San Mames on May 21, will present a difficult challenge for Claudio Ranieri's Roma in the round of 16.
Spurs, who overcame AZ 1-0 in the league phase in October, will travel to the Netherlands for the first leg of their last-16 matchup.
If they prevail, Ange Postecoglou's squad might return to the Netherlands for the quarterfinals, where the winners of the 2022 competition would face either Ajax or Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Old Trafford team may play either Mourinho's Fenerbahce or Rangers in the round of four, but Spurs and Manchester United cannot meet until the championship game.
In order to go to the quarterfinals and face either Lazio, who finished first in the league phase, or Viktoria Plzen of the Czech Republic, Olympiakos of Greece, the Conference League winners from the previous season, will play Bodo/Glimt of Norway.
Complete Europa League round of 16 draw
Glimt/Bodo against Olympiacos
Rangers vs. Fenerbahce
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Ajax
Lyon vs. FCSB
AZ Alkmaar versus Tottenham FC
Man United vs. Real Sociedad
Lazio vs. Viktoria Plzen
Athletic Bilbao versus Roma
