Man Utd to face Real Sociedad in Europa League last 16

AFP | Paris

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Manchester United were drawn yesterday to play Real Sociedad of Spain in the last 16 of this season’s Europa League, while Rangers will take on Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, and Tottenham Hotspur face AZ Alkmaar.

Ruben Amorim’s United are struggling in the Premier League this season but finished third in the league phase of the Europa League.

They will travel to San Sebastian for the first leg on March 6 before the return a week later against a Real Sociedad side who reached this stage after beating Midtjylland of Denmark in the playoff round.

The clubs have met several times in European competition in recent years, with United winning a Europa League knockout phase play-off tie in 2021 before both sides each won away from home in the group stage in 2022/23. They also faced off in the Champions League group stage in 2013.

Whoever wins will advance to a last-eight tie against either Lyon or FCSB. The Romanians lost 2-0 at home to United in their last game in the group phase last month.

Fenerbahce will welcome beaten 2022 finalists Rangers to Istanbul for the first leg of their tie in a competition coach Mourinho won with United in 2017. He also won its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, as Porto boss in 2003.

If Fenerbahce win, Mourinho could come up in the quarter-finals against one of his old clubs in Roma, with whom he won the Europa Conference League in 2022.