The round of 16 playoffs of the Europa League get a duel of legends: Champions League relegated FC Barcelona meets Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently under contract. Union Berlin meets Ajax Amsterdam. Bayer Leverkusen is looking forward to an ex-player.
Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen have been drawn extremely attractive opponents for the Europa League play-offs. As the draw in Nyon showed, the Köpenickers will meet Ajax Amsterdam in the first knockout round. Meanwhile, Leverkusen is challenged against AS Monaco by ex-Bayer professional Kevin Volland. As one of the group winners from the preliminary round, SC Freiburg has already qualified for the round of 16.
Union, second in the group stage, initially plays away, while Bayer, relegated from the Champions League, enjoys home rights in the first leg. However, Manchester United caught the most spectacular opponent. Cristiano Ronaldo's team meets Robert Lewandowski and FC Barcelona. Whether the Portuguese superstar will still be there is more than questionable. There are persistent rumors that the 37-year-old will leave the Red Devils after the World Cup in winter. Because he is no longer indispensable for his coach Erik ten Hag. And sits on the bench more often than he would like.
The play-offs will take place on February 16th and 23rd, before the round of 16 on March 9th and 16th. The final will take place on May 31, 2023 in Budapest.
