Manchester United best and worst route to Europa League glory after draw confirmed

Manchester United's Europa League fate has been set after the draw was conducted by UEFA on Friday.

United's European journey this season has been a welcome distraction from the trauma that has been the Premier League. They are currently unbeaten in the competition and hold an advantage in the round of 16 by having the all-important second leg played at Old Trafford.

Their opponents in the first knockout stage are La Liga team Real Sociedad - who breezed past Danish outfit FC Midtjylland 7-3 on aggregate last night. The Reds have arguably been drawn in the hardest half of the draw - and The Manchester Evening News has taken a closer look at the best and worst routes available for Ruben Amorim if they are to go on and win the Europa League this season.

Quarter-finals - FCSB

United were too good for FCSB when they met in the final league phase fixture. The Romanian club were carved open on a number of occasions by a Reds team that have struggled for goals, so you would see Amorim's side as favourites if they met in the last eight.

Semi-finals - Rangers

No team who United could play in the last-four would be considered as "easy" opponents. Rangers or perhaps the easiest considering Amorim already knows how to beat them and the threats they pose.

A word of caution would be that a trip to Ibrox would be a pressurised fixture, and it is fair to suggest that United could potentially struggle in the Glasgow pressure cooker.

Final - Bodo/Glimt or Viktoria Plzen

Both clubs fell to defeat against United in the league phase but both teams did hand them a scare. Bodo/Glimt's performance at Old Trafford in the first half will have given Amorim plenty to ponder and was ultimately a sign of the entrenched problems United face.

Vik