Manchester United will face Barcelona in the playoff round of the Europa League to determine who advances to the knockout stages – with the tie featuring eight Champions League titles between the two teams.
The draw for the playoff stage of the competition took place in Switzerland on Monday lunchtime, with several big hitters in the draw either via qualification in second place in their group or through dropping out of the Champions League.
United against Barcelona was the headline tie of the draw, but Juventus and Ajax were among the other teams to find out their fate ahead of the playoff round.
Juventus will play French side Nantes, with Ajax, who dropped into the competition after failing to qualify from Liverpool’s Champions League group, set to take on Union Berlin of Germany.
Jose Mourinho’s Roma, who won the Europa Conference League last season, will take on Salzburg, with six-time champions Sevilla set to face PSV.
Philippe Clement’s Monaco side were drawn against Bayern Leverkusen, Sporting Lisbon will face FC Midtjylland, and Shakhtar Donetsk will play Stade Rennais.
Barcelona were the first team out the hat and gasps could almost be heard around the footballing world as Manchester United’s name followed in the next ball.
In 2008-09 and 2010-11 the fixture was the Champions League final, but both sides have struggled to remain at the top of Europe’s pedestal in the years since.
Former Fulham and West Brom favourite Zoltan Gera was on hand to draw the names out in the event hosted by Giorgio Marchetti, with several officials in attendance in Nyon.
The play-off round features 16 teams that either came second in their Europa League group or third in their Champions League group, with teams all playing a side originally from the other competition.
It was also impossible for anyone to face a team from their country at this stage.
The winners of the ties will progress to the last 16 of the competition where the winners of the Europa League groups, including Arsenal, will be waiting.
The ties will take place over a two-week period, with the first legs on February 16 and the second on February 23.
