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      Man Utd fans panic as they realise they’ll be without Lisandro Martinez to face Lewandowski and Co at Barcelona

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans have been left concerned ahead of their Europa League tie versus Barcelona with a key player suspended.A vital member of the Red Devils starting XI picked up too many bookings in the group stages and he will miss the first leg in Spain.
      Robert Lewandowski will be delighted to see Man Utd are without a key centre-back in the first legCredit: Getty
      Lisandro Martinez is banned for the first game between the two in FebruaryCredit: AP
      Lisandro Martinez was given a yellow card in the win over Real Sociedad and it was his third booking meaning he must serve a one-match ban.
      With United set to come up against one of the world’s best strikers in Robert Lewandowski it is disastrous news sending supporters into a panic.
      Erik ten Hag prefers the pairing of Martinez and Raphael Varane but the Frenchman has struggled with injuries since joining the Red Devils.
      Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire may have to come in for the trip to the Nou Camp which is concerning some of the Man Utd faithful due to their questionable form.
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      One tweeted: “Clicked that Lisandro Martinez is not available for the first leg and it is surely Maguire-Lindelof pair and it’s gonna be scary. I CAN’T.”
      Another said this alongside a crying emoji: “We’ve got Barcelona and no Lisandro Martinez for the first leg.”
      One supporter went as far as saying United need a new centre-back in the transfer window: “United need a CB in January, after that draw vs Barcelona. I don’t trust Maguire or Lindelof.”
      Others came up with different solutions: “Honestly put Casemiro at the back I can’t take the other two.”
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      And another seemed to already admit defeat: “Lewandowski hat-trick is written in the stars.”
      The nightmare draw comes after the Red Devils failed to top the group on goal difference finishing behind Real Sociedad in Group E.
      Martinez has impressed since his move from Ajax in the summer but in the defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend he was accused of elbowing Leon Bailey with some thinking he was lucky to escape a red card. More

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      When is the Europa League last-16 draw and how to watch?

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      GROUP WINNERS in the Europa League will return to action in the competition in the round of 16.This comes after the sides that topped their groups in the competition were confirmed to skip the latest round, with runners-up facing third-placed teams in the Champions League.
      Arsenal finished top of their Europa League group ahead of PSV, FC Zurich and Bodo/GlimtCredit: Getty
      Arsenal will return to action and are in the hat for the round of 16, with the likes of Real Betis, Feyenoord and Real Sociedad, who finished ahead of Manchester United in Group E.
      We have all the details on when the draw is, how it is formatted and who will be awaiting their opponents ahead of the last-16.
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      When is the Europa League round of 16 draw?

      The Europa League round of 16 draw will take place on Friday, February 24.
      The draw will commence from 12pm UK time.
      It will be held at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

      How to watch the Europa League round of 16 draw?

      To watch the draw, you must visit the UEFA website where it will be live streamed.

      Arsenal will be hoping for a favourable draw as they search for Europa League gloryCredit: AFP

      The stream will take place from 12pm UK time as fans find out who their teams will face in the last-16.

      What is the format of the draw?
      The eight Europa League group winners will be seeded, and the eight winners from the knockout play-off round will be unseeded.
      Those who finished second in their Europa League groups will face off against teams that finished third in their Champions League groups to earn a place in the last-16.
      The group winners will play the first leg of the round of 16 away from home.
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      Clubs from the same association will avoid each other in the last-16 before this restriction is dropped for the quarter-final.
      Who is in the draw?
      So far, it is just the Europa League group winners confirmed to be in the hat for the last-16 draw.
      These teams are as follows:

      Arsenal
      Betis
      Fenerbahce
      Ferencvaros
      Feyenoord
      Freiburg
      Real Sociedad
      Union Saint-Gilloise

      None of these sides can face each other until the quarter-final stage at earliest.
      Winners of the knockout round play-off will join these sides in the draw once the games have been played and all the fixtures have been decided. More

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      Europa League knockout round play-off draw LIVE REACTION: Man Utd face nightmare draw against Barcelona – updates

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will take on Barcelona in a mouth-watering Europa League play-off tie.The Catalan giants went crashing out of the Champions League having finished third in their group.
      And the Spanish giants humiliated United 4-0 on aggregate when the sides last met in 2019.

      Draw in full: Juventus vs Nantes, Sporting Lisbon vs Midtjylland, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes, Ajax vs Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco, Sevilla vs PSV, Red Bull Salzburg vs Roma
      First legs: February 16 2023.
      Second legs: February 23 2023.

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      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      That’s all from Nyon
      The Europa League play-off draw has been completed in Switzerland and Manchester United were dealt with a tough opponent.
      That was none other than Barcelona, who finished third in their Champions League group.
      United will face Barca first at the Nou Camp on February 16 and they will then lock horns in the return fixture at Old Trafford on February 23.
      And here are the rest of the pairs: Juventus vs Nantes, Sporting Lisbon vs Midtjylland, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes, Ajax vs Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco, Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven and Red Bull Salzburg vs Roma

      Europa League Final
      The Europa League Final will take place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on May, 31, 2023.
      This is the second major UEFA final to take place in that Hungarian ground.
      The same venue previously hosted the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, where Bayern Munich beat Sevilla 2-1.
      Arsenal and Manchester United are among the favourites to be in the final

      Europa League recap
      Here is how the Europa League play-off draw went down in Nyon:
      Barcelona vs Manchester United
      Juventus vs Nantes
      Sporting Lisbon vs Midtjylland
      Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes
      Ajax vs Union Berlin
      Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco
      Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven
      Red Bull Salzburg vs Roma

      Man Utd schedule
      Manchester United got a tough draw but could benefit from the order of play against Barcelona.
      United will face Barca first at the Nou Camp on February 16.
      The two global megapowers will then lock horns in the return fixture at Old Trafford on February 23.
      The winner will then qualify for the Europa League Last 16

      How did Arsenal get here?
      Arsenal didn’t take part in today’s Europa League draw because they won Group A.
      That means the Gunners are automatically through to the competition’s Last 16.
      The North Londoners overcame the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt and Zurich.
      Mikel Arteta’s men amassed five wins and one loss in all of their six matches

      Man Utd vs Barcelona history
      Manchester United drew one of the toughest possible opponents in the Europa League play-offs.
      United and Barca’s first ever meeting took place way back in 1984 when the Catalans won 2-0 at home in the Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-finals.
      Since then, the two sides have faced off 13 times with the Blaugrana winning a majority of six games, compared to the Red Devils’ three victories across all competitions.
      Barcelona have beaten United in two Champions League Finals back in 2009 and 2011.
      The Red Devils haven’t beaten the Catalan giants since the 2008 Champions League semi-finals

      What’s next?
      The winners of the Europa League play-off round will go on to face the group stage winners in the Last 16.
      Among them is Arsenal, but Manchester United won’t be able to face them in the next round if they overcome Barcelona.
      Freiburg, Ferencvaros, Union Saint-Gilloise, Real Betis, Fenerbahce, Real Sociedad and Feyenoord also await.
      The aforementioned and the Gunners are automatically through to the Last 16

      Europa League draw
      Manchester United are set for a tough Europa League play-off clash with Barcelona.
      Let’s have a quick recap below:
      Barcelona vs Manchester United
      Juventus vs Nantes
      Sporting Lisbon vs Midtjylland
      Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes
      Ajax vs Union Berlin
      Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco
      Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven
      Red Bull Salzburg vs Roma
      Europa League draw
      Red Bull Salzburg vs Roma
      Europa League draw
      Red Bull Salzburg can now face only one team…
      Europa League draw
      Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven
      Europa League draw
      Europa League record winners Sevilla are up next
      Europa League draw
      Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco
      Europa League draw
      Bayer Leverkusen will now find out their opponent
      Europa League draw
      Ajax vs Union Berlin
      Europa League draw
      Ajax are now up
      Europa League draw
      Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes
      Europa League draw
      Shakhtar Donetsk are set to find out their fate
      Europa League draw
      Sporting Lisbon vs Midtjylland
      Europa League draw
      Sporting Lisbon are now up
      Europa League draw
      Juventus vs Nantes
      Europa League draw
      Juventus are the next team to be drawn
      Europa League draw
      Barcelona vs Man Utd!!!
      Europa League draw
      Barcelona are the first team drawn, Man Utd don’t want them…
      Europa League draw
      Ex-West Brom and Fulham ace Zoltan Gera comes out to help with the draw.
      Hungarian star Gera takes part in the procedures ahead of the Europa League final in Budapest
      Load more entries… More

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      Garnacho almost blew Man Utd career after turning up late on pre-season tour but has turned it around under Ten Hag

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      ALEJANDRO GARNACHO almost blew his Manchester United career after turning up late for team meetings on the club’s pre-season tour.The 18-year-old hit the headlines on Thursday with the winner in the Red Devils Europa League victory over Real Sociedad in only his second start for the club.
      Garnacho scored the winner for Man Utd against Real Sociedad on ThursdayCredit: Getty
      But after his full debut against FC Sheriff the previous week manager Erik ten Hag referenced problems with the player in pre-season.
      And captain on the night Bruno Fernandes did likewise after the game in San Sebastian on Thursday.
      They were referring to his behaviour as part of the squad on the summer tour of Bangkok and Australia.
      While Garnacho was taken on the tour, he did not play after twice turning up late for team meetings.
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      He finally did play in pre-season in the club’s final game before the Premier League season kicked in a match against against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford.
      His goal against Sociedad on Thursday made him the youngest non-English scorer in Europe for the club.
      But after the game Fernandes referenced his attitude on pre-season.
      Fernandes said: “He knows we expect a lot from him. He wasn’t at his best at the beginning of the season.
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      “On the tour he didn’t have the best attitude that he should have, but now he’s training better and getting his chances. He’s deserving of his chances.”
      This came a week after his full debut against FC Sheriff when Ten Hag also referred to his behaviour in the pre-season.
      Ten Hag said: “The start of the season was difficult for him. I was not happy with him, but the last weeks I was happy with him – a better attitude, more resilience, more determination.
      “Young kids have to grow and to raise their personality. They have to know what the laws and demands are in top football. You have to fulfil every day the high standards.”
      There had previously been concerns about Garnacho after he joined United’s academy from Atletico Madrid two years ago.
      One thing that was spotted was him turning up for training with his shoelaces undone.
      But the club are more than happy at how he has turned things around.
      Ten Hag has already shown that he is a no nonsense boss who is big on discipline.
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      Recently he axed the club’s biggest star Cristiano Ronaldo for refusing to come on as a substitute late in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
      While Garnacho was born in Madrid, his mother is from Argentina and he was recently called up to train with the national team squad alongside Lionel Messi. More

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      Ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri claims Feyenoord fans threw URINE at home during Lazio clash in Europa League

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      FORMER Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri claims Feyenoord fans threw URINE at Lazio during last night’s heated Europa League clash.The two continental heavyweights battled it out in Holland to earn a spot in next year’s knockout stage.
      Maurizio Sarri claims Feyenoord fans threw urine at the Lazio bench in last night’s Europa League gameCredit: Getty
      Lazio required just one point to progress, but ended up losing 1-0.
      The Italians are now ruing their missed chances after being demoted to the Europa Conference League.
      But Sarri and Co were left feeling even more disgruntled after allegedly being subjected to bad behaviour from a section of home supporters.
      Sarri claims some fans hurled bags of urine at the Lazio bench.
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      And although he did not clarify whether anyone had been hit, Sarri said the actions left his staff frustrated.
      The Italian said: “There were bags of p*** thrown from the stands down onto the back of the bench.
      “It goes without saying, that is a little irritating.”
      Earlier this season, Sarri left fans in hysterics after being caught giving someone the middle finger.
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      He was spotted on live TV aiming the gesture at a member of the Hellas Verona bench.
      Lazio have enjoyed a good start to the season under Sarri, who led Chelsea to the Europa League in 2019.
      They are currently fifth in Serie A, winning seven of their opening 12 games.
      One player who has been key under Sarri is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
      The Serbian midfielder has been tipped for a Premier League move for several years.
      He has five goals and seven assists in 18 games so far, and has also been linked with Juventus. More

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      Europa League knockout draw simulated with Man Utd facing tough test against Ajax as Erik ten Hag heads back to old club

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      ERIK TEN HAG has been handed an emotional return to Ajax… in a simulated Europa League draw.Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Real Sociedad on Thursday night wasn’t enough for the Red Devils to top their group.
      A simulated Europa League play-off draw
      Erik ten Hag could be handed an emotional tie against former club AjaxCredit: Getty
      As a result they face a play-off tie against one of the teams to have dropped down from the Champions League, instead of being handed a bye to the Last 16.
      That means the likes of Barcelona and Juventus are potential opponents.
      But a simulated draw has handed Ten Hag and Co an even better tie – an emotional reunion with Ajax.
      The Dutch champions, and Ten Hag’s old team, have dropped into the Europa League after finishing behind Napoli and Liverpool in the Champions League.
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      And Old Trafford gaffer Ten Hag could face a trip to his old stomping ground less than a year after ditching the Dutch side for United.
      United are the only Premier League team in the play-off round, with Arsenal safely through straight to the round of 16 as group winners.
      Nevertheless, the simulated play-off round has still thrown up some interesting ties.
      Jose Mourinho’s Roma were drawn out of the hat against German outfit Bayer Leverkusen, who took four points off Atletico Madrid in the Champions League group stages.
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      PSV Eindhoven vs Juventus is another interesting clash, especially given the Italian side’s struggles this season.
      Juve lost five out of their six Champions League group games, and are struggling just as much domestically as well.
      Elsewhere the simulated draw handed Barcelona a favourable tie against French outfit Rennes.
      The Spanish giants failed to qualify for the Champions League knockouts for a second year on the bounce, finishing behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in their group.
      The other simulated play-off ties were Sevilla vs Monaco, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Midtjylland, RB Salzburg vs Union Berlin, and Sporting Lisbon vs Nantes. More

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      Man Utd slammed by Paul Scholes as ‘a little bit League One, League Two-ish’ and ‘mess’ despite beating Real Sociedad

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Paul Scholes has labelled Erik ten Hag’s long-ball tactics against Real Sociedad as “a bit League Two-ish”.The Red Devils needed to beat the Spaniards by at least two goals, but only managed to net once thanks to 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho.
      Man Utd failed to finish top of their Europa League groupCredit: Getty
      Paul Scholes has labelled United’s long-ball tactics against Sociedad as ‘a bit League Two-ish’Credit: BT Sport
      Garnacho’s goal might have sealed the win but it meant United finished second in their Europa League group.
      They now have to play a preliminary knockout round instead of skipping to the Round of 16.
      That means they could face one of the Champions League dropouts in Ajax, Barcelona, Juventus, Leverkusen, Salzburg, Sevilla, Shakhtar and Sporting CP.
      But Scholes says United had “no plan” in a “complete mess” of a second half as they pushed for a second which would see them top the group.
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      As desperation kicked in, defender Harry Maguire even came on and played up front.
      Such tactics has seen United legend Scholes scold his former team as “a bit League Two-ish”.
      Scholes told BT Sport: “The second half looked a bit messy, there was no plan.
      “The plan was to launch it forward to look for second balls – it was a little bit League One, League Two-ish for me. Maybe a little bit disrespectful. 
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      “I wasn’t really sure what he was trying to do. It started with the [Victor] Lindelof substitution. They were in complete control until he went off.
      “Casemiro went to the back, then Marcus [Rashford] came on for [Donny] Van de Beek in the No 10 role. It’s not his position, he needs to be on the shoulder of people.
      “Rashford needs to be out wide, he needs to be in space.
      “It just became a long ball game – and I’m all for that, it can work – but the second half just became a complete mess having been in control in the first half.
      “There were positive substitutions I just didn’t think Marcus [Rashford] was in the right position.
      “Bruno [Fernandes] could have swapped with Marcus from the right, Bruno is ineffective on the right. He knows he’s going to be. Get Marcus out wide. 
      “Maybe Marcus is carrying something? He didn’t want him to stretch his legs down the right-hand side. 
      “Marcus is most dangerous out wide.
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      “In the centre, he has to take a touch, beat a man then link play, he’s capable but it’s not his best position.
      “Getting Bruno in the middle would have given them better shape.” More

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      Man Utd face Europa League headache with no room in fixture list for postponed Prem games after coming second in group

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      MANCHESTER UNITED face a fixture headache next year thanks to their Europa League knockout double header.That’s because there’s now no room in the schedule to rearrange postponed Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Leeds.
      Man Utd’s Europa League knockout tie means there’s no room to rearrange two Prem gamesCredit: Getty
      The Red Devils will have to endure an eliminator to reach the next stage of the Europa League after finishing second in their group.
      United had to beat Real Sociedad by at least two goals in last night’s match.
      But Erik ten Hag’s men could only win 1-0, leaving them runners-up.
      And they will now play a two-legged knockout against a Champions League dropout.
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      Ajax, Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, RB Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla and Juventus are all moving down.
      And United face a tough test to reach the next stage of the competition.
      The Europa League knockouts begin on February 14.
      But ESPN reports there is now no natural room for United to play Crystal Palace and Leeds.
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      Both games were postponed earlier this season due to the Queen’s death.
      And thanks to their Europa knockout, United are now solidly booked in each midweek and weekend slot.
      There could be some joy further down the line, as two of those dates have been put aside for FA Cup replays.
      But that’s only if United, plus whichever opponent they are due to face, come through their original tie unscathed.
      Some dates are also reserved for the Carabao Cup, yet the same theory applies.
      And Premier League beaks will now have to put their heads together to figure out just how United can fulfil their games against Palace and Leeds.
      The headache comes during the busiest season ever, which is down to the Qatar World Cup being played in winter.
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      Numerous teams are starting to pick up injuries after playing every three-to-four days.
      And with several games left before the domestic season is paused, there could be more setbacks to come. More