Manchester United will play Real Sociedad in the Europa League last-16, which will be their third meeting in the competition within five seasons.
Real Sociedad will host the first leg on March 6 in Spain, where United captain Bruno Fernandes scored twice in a 4-0 win four years ago on their way to the final. The return game at Old Trafford is on March 13.
Roma and Lazio faced the possibility of a Rome derby at Stadio Olimpico but were paired with different opponents. Lazio – who came first in the new 36-team standings format – will play Viktoria Plzen and Roma were drawn against No 2 seeds Athletic Bilbao, whose stadium hosts the final on May 21. Roma eliminated Porto in the play-offs on Thursday.
Jose Mourinho will lead his Fenerbahce team to face Rangers with the first leg in Istanbul.
Ajax will be at home first against Eintracht Frankfurt, who won the 2022 Europa League final against Rangers.
In a stellar European season for clubs from the Netherlands, AZ Alkmaar were paired with Tottenham, who won 1-0 when the teams met in November in London.
Also in Friday’s draw, Bodo/Glimt will face Olympiacos, the Conference League winners last season, and Lyon are away first at FCSB, the Romanian club formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, the 1986 European Cup winners.
12:46 PM GMT
Jose Mourinho will face Rangers
Mourinho has never faced Rangers in his managerial career but made himself very popular with the blue half of Glasgow by beating Celtic in the 2003 Uefa Cup final with Porto. Mourinho has claimed that Rangers fans have walked up and thanked up on the streets of London.
12:38 PM GMT
Doesn’t bode well
3 - Manchester United haven't won any of their three home games in the UEFA Europa League against opponents from the Basque Country:
2-3 v Athletic Club (2012)
0-0 v Real Sociedad (2021)
0-1 v Real Sociedad (2022)Vascos. pic.twitter.com/q20mjRRo5G
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2025
12:28 PM GMT
Looking ahead through the draw...
United would play away first in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals should they progress. The same goes for Tottenham which could be a minor handicap.
12:24 PM GMT
The Europa League last-16 ties in their brackets
Viktoria Plzen vs Lazio
Bobo/Glimt vs Olympiacos
Ajax vs Frankfurt
AZ Alkmaar vs Tottenham
Real Sociedad vs Man Utd
FCSB vs Lyon
Fenerbahce vs Rangers
Roma vs Atletic Club
12:22 PM GMT
What that means for the quarter-finals..
Manchester United would play the winners of FCSB vs Lyon. Tottenham would play the winners of Ajax vs Eintracht Frankurt. Rangers would play the winners of Roma vs Atletic Club.
12:19 PM GMT
That means it United play Real Sociedad
The two clubs played in the Europa League group stage in 2022 during Erik ten Hag’s first season.
12:19 PM GMT
Tottenham draw AZ Alkmaar
That is a repeat of a league phase fixture. Spurs have plenty of support in the Netherlands.
12:18 PM GMT
The next two ties are out
FCSB vs Lyon and Ajax vs Eintracht Frankfurt.
12:17 PM GMT
Rangers vs Fernerbahce
The Scottish club are heading to Istanbul. That draw means it is also Bobo/Glimt vs Olympiacos.
12:16 PM GMT
The first ball is about to be drawn...
Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers fans do not have much longer to wait.
12:03 PM GMT
The Europa League draw is now under way
Once the teams have discovered which of their two possible last-16 opponents they will face, the remainder of the draw will be to see who plays at home first in the quarters and semis.
11:55 AM GMT
Mixed memories for Manchester United fans
Jose Mourinho delivered the second major trophy of his first season at Old Trafford by winning the Europa League (everything went swimmingly after that I think.. ). United were too strong for a callow Ajax team in the final. Tottenham saw Mourinho target Davinson Sanchez and decided to sign him. Four years later, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost the final on penalties to Unai Emery’s Villarreal and in truth he never rediscovered whatever authority he had after that disappointment.
11:48 AM GMT
Postecoglou speaking about updates to Spurs’ Europa League squad
It’s pretty straightforward. Obviously with Radu Dragusin going down, we’re short on a central defender there with Micky [van de Ven] and [Cristian] Romero – we’ve got to see where they get back – it made sense to bring Kevin Danso and Djed Spence into the squad.”
We were keen to bring Mathys in as well, that’s why we signed him. We could only make the three changes.”
We’re obviously still limited because we don’t have [enough] club trained [players] and that’s going to be an issue for us over the next couple of years. So that kind of limits the opportunities for us to tinker, but with three changes, I thought they were the logical ones.
11:42 AM GMT
They are ready to go for the Europa League draw
11:37 AM GMT
United and Spurs’ potential last-16 opponents and the route to the final
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are enduring their most miserable league seasons in decades, but remain among the favourites to lift the Europa League in Bilbao this May.
That is a reflection of the economic and sporting dominance of the Premier League, but also the fact that there are no Champions League drop-outs parachuted into the knockout rounds this season.
This season’s new ‘Swiss model’ format means each club has only two possible last-16 opponents, rather than as many as seven in previous seasons when there was an open draw. Much like at an international tournament there are brackets, so United and Spurs will also be able to map out their potential route to the final.
The two English clubs are effectively paired together for the last-16 draw because Spurs finished fourth and United third in the league phase. One of them will draw Real Sociedad, offering fans a delightful away trip to San Sebastian, while the other faces a trip to the Netherlands to face AZ Alkmaar.
The team which draws Real Sociedad will face a quarter-final against Bucharest-based club FCSB, Lyon or Eintracht Frankfurt.
The team which draws AZ Alkmaar will face a quarter-final against Ajax, Lyon or Eintracht Frankfurt.
Rangers will play either Bodo/Glimt or Fenerbahce.
Of course, those potential quarter-final opponents will be whittled down from three to two once we know the draw for the last-16.
The Europa League has taken on huge importance for Spurs and United, as it is their only viable route to Champions League qualification. It is also Ange Postecoglou’s last chance to deliver on his promise of delivering a trophy in his second season, with Spurs knocked out of both domestic cups earlier this month. United won this competition under Jose Mourinho in 2017, while Spurs did so in 1984.
The draw is expected to start at 12pm UK time.
