sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Europa League quarter-final draw: Man Utd's best and worst case scenarios including Italian reunion

Europa League quarter-final draw: Man Utd's best and worst case scenarios including Italian reunion

Manchester United are the only Premier League side left in the Europa League.

The draw for the Europa League quarter-finals and semi-finals will take place at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.

Manchester United are the only English team left in the competition after Arsenal were knocked out by Sporting Lisbon on Thursday night.

The Portuguese side won 5-3 on penalties at the Emirates after their tie against the Premier League leaders ended 3-3 following extra-time.

United, meanwhile, booked their place in the last eight with a 5-1 aggregate win over Real Betis, with Erik ten Hag's side winning the second leg in Spain 1-0 thanks to yet another goal from Marcus Rashford.

Here, we take a look at the best and worst case scenarios for United in Friday's quarter-final draw.

Best draws for Man Utd

United will want to be drawn against Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, who are the least fancied side left in the Europa League.

Despite beating German club Union Berlin 6-3 on aggregate in the previous round, Union Saint-Gilloise are deemed to be the tournament outsiders by bookmakers, who are offering odds of up to 35/1 for the Belgian side to win the whole competition.

It is also a relatively short trip for Ten Hag's side and while fans of the Belgian club are certain to be passionate, the Joseph Marien Stadium does not have a fearsome reputation - unlike the stadiums of other teams United could be drawn against.

Other favourable ties for United are Bayer Leverkusen, who are managed by former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso - and Feyenoord, although former Ajax boss Ten Hag is guaranteed to receive a hostile reception at De Kuip.

Worst draws for Man Utd

United will want to avoid the two Italian giants left in the competition - Juventus and Roma.

Both sides have had a disappointing season on the domestic front and are currently outside the Champions League places in Serie A.

Winning the Europa League would guarantee them a spot in European football's top club competition next season and both teams are likely to be formidable opponents over the course of two legs.

There are plenty of familiar faces at Roma, who are managed by former United manager Jose Mourinho - with Nemanja Matic and Chris Smalling part of his squad.

Roma reached the last eight with a 2-0 aggregate win over Real Sociedad, who beat United in the group stage of the competition, and Ten Hag will want to avoid a trip to the Stadio Olimpico.

He will also want to avoid Juventus, who cruised past Freiburg with a 3-0 aggregate win in the previous round.

Massimiliano Allegri's side have underperformed this season considering the quality in their squad – which includes former United players Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria.

Another tricky tie for United would be Sevilla, who beat Fenerbahce 2-1 in on aggregate in the last 16.

The Spanish club have won the Europa League six times, more than any other club, and have a knack for beating English teams in Europe, especially United in recent years.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Manchester United, Europa League, Football