Europa League quarter-final draw: United to play Anderlecht, Ajax faces Schalke
The draw for the quarter-finals of the Europa League was held Friday in Nyon, Switzerland, and while the tournament lacks the show-stopping appeal of the Champions League, the four matchups on offer still have plenty of intrigue.
Quarter-final draw, full results
- Anderlecht vs. Manchester United
- Celta Vigo vs. Genk
- Ajax vs. Schalke
- Lyon vs. Besiktas
Manchester United, fresh off an unconvincing victory over Rostov, will need to navigate a tricky encounter against Belgian league leader Anderlecht; the Red Devils will be hoping influential midfielder Paul Pogba can overcome his hamstring issue in time for the opening leg in Belgium.
The two most enticing clashes, though, feature an Ajax side (predictably) rife with young talent meeting Schalke, while free-scoring Lyon, powered by the red-hot Memphis Depay, has the unenviable task of trying to procure a positive result at the Vodafone Arena in Besiktas.
Looking to follow in the footsteps of Sevilla and maintain La Liga's recent dominance in the competition - a Spanish side has won the Europa League in five of the last seven seasons - Celta Vigo, led by the (surprisingly) prolific Iago Aspas, will meet Genk.
The first leg of each tie will be played on April 13, with the return fixtures all slated for the following week, on April 20.
HEADLINES
- Griezmann unavailable for France for 1st time in over 7 years
- Look: Nike unveils beautiful kit selection for Euro 2024, Copa America
- PSG open up 12-point lead after Mbappe-powered rout of Montpellier
- Ligue 1 roundup: David extends scoring run for Lille as UCL race heats up
- Xavi: PSG are favorites against Barcelona