MANCHESTER UNITED’s Europa League final defeat to Villarreal could see them be handed a favourable Champions League group next season.
The Red Devils lost on penalties in last week’s final in Gdansk as the Spanish side won the first major honour in their history.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad found themselves in Europe’s second-tier competition after failing to get out of their Champions League group.
And United’s attempt to reach the knockout stages of next year’s European Cup have been boosted after missing out on Pot 1.
Of the eight teams in Pot 1, the winners of the top six ranked domestic leagues are included, as well as the two champions from this term’s European competitions.
England’s Manchester City, France’s Lille, Germany’s Bayern Munich, Italy’s Inter Milan, Spain’s Atletico Madrid and Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon are in Pot 1.
Chelsea join them after their Champions League success, along with Villarreal after their heroics in Poland.
Manchester United and Liverpool find themselves in Pot 2 due to their Uefa coefficient ranking in the last five years.
Joining them in the non-champions Pot are Spanish clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla, French side Paris Saint-Germain, Serie A’s Juventus and Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund.
No English clubs can be drawn against each other at the group stage, meaning United and Liverpool cannot face the Blues or the Citizens.
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And the Premier League giants you would feel would welcome any team from Pot 1 besides Bayern Munich.
United and the Reds have also been boosted by Chelsea’s victory over City, as had the Blues lost, they would have been in Pot 2.
This would have seen Dortmund drop down into Pot 3, where they could have faced any of the English clubs.
Either United or Liverpool could still face Ajax or RB Leipzig who find themselves in Pot 3.
And AC Milan – back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 season – are one of the clubs confirmed to be in Pot 4.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
