Manchester United have drawn Spanish side Granada in the Europa League quarter-finals. – By Madellene Kalunda.
United edged out AC Milan in the last round, with Paul Pogba coming off the bench to score a vital winner in the second leg at the San Siro. Granada saw off Norwegian side Molde to reach the last eight in their first ever Europa League campaign.
The draw looks favourable for United given Granada’s inexperience at this level – the Andalusian club are currently eighth in La Liga – but a tough semi-final awaits should they get there, with Ajax or Roma awaiting the winner.
United won the competition in 2017 with Jose Mourinho at the helm, beating Ajax 2-0 in the final.
The quarter-final ties will be played over two legs on the 8 April and 15 April. The semi-finals will take place over 29 April and 6 May, before the final on Wednesday 26 May at the Gdansk Stadium in Poland.
For Arsenal, a potential meeting with Dinamo Zagreb or Villarreal is on the cards.
After Rangers and Tottenham exited the tournament on Thursday night, the draw means the two remaining British sides, United and Arsenal, could only meet in the final.
Meanwhile, Arsenal take on a club who have already knocked out two British opponents, with Slavia Prague beating Leicester 2-0 on aggregate in the last 32 before overcoming Rangers 3-1 in the round of 16.
Arsenal progressed despite losing 1-0 to Olympiakos on Thursday night, with a 3-1 first-leg win enough to help Mikel Arteta’s side reach the Europa League last eight for the third time in four seasons.
The Europa League final takes place on Wednesday, May 26 at the Gdansk Arena in Poland. The stadium was due to host the 2020 final, but after the tournament was delayed due to Covid-19, the showpiece took place in Cologne, Germany as Sevilla beat Inter 3-2.
Europa League quarter-finals
First legs: April 8, Second legs: April 15
Granada vs Manchester United
Arsenal vs Slavia Prague
Ajax vs Roma
Dinamo Zagreb vs Villarreal
Europa League semi-final draw
First legs: April 29, Second legs: May 6
Granada OR Manchester United vs Ajax OR Roma
Dinamo Zagreb OR Villarreal vs Arsenal OR Slavia Prague