Manchester United face Kazakhstan trip in Europa League

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope that Manchester United can replicate their Europa League performance of 2017, when they won the competition. Photo: Andrew Yates/Reuters

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope that Manchester United can replicate their Europa League performance of 2017, when they won the competition. Photo: Andrew Yates/Reuters

Published Aug 30, 2019

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MONACO – Europa League runners-up Arsenal and semi-finalists Eintracht Frankfurt were grouped together in the draw for this season’s competition, which was held in Monaco on Friday.

Frankfurt and Arsenal, who lost to winners Chelsea in the semis and final respectively last season, were joined by Belgian side Standard Liege and Portugal’s Vitoria SC in Group F.

Manchester United, winners of the competition in 2017, will have a lot of travelling to do to Eastern Europe after being drawn alongside Kazakhstan side Astana, Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade and Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

Sevilla, who won a hat trick of titles between 2014 and 2016, were drawn in an easier group with Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus), Qarabag (Azerbaijan) and F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg).

Wolverhampton Wanderers, who went through three rounds of qualifying to reach the group stage, were drawn with Turkish side Besiktas, Portugal’s Braga and Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava.

%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UELGroup L confirmed ✅ #UELdraw #MUFC https://t.co/3FTtvpGF0A

— Manchester United (@ManUtd)

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, who were handed another partial stadium ban on Friday for fans’ racist behaviour, drew Portugal’s Porto, Switzerland’s Young Boys and Dutch side Feyenoord.

Rangers’ Scottish rivals Celtic drew Italy’s Lazio, France’s Rennes and Romania’s CFR Cluj.

Former Chelsea forward Eden Hazard, who moved to Real Madrid in the close season, was named the Europa League player of the year for the 2018/19 campaign after he led the London side to the final, where he scored twice in the 4-1 win over Arsenal.

%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UELgroup stage draw! 👊

Which games are you excited for? #UELdraw pic.twitter.com/aZkjcfj4lD

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague)

Europa League Draw

Group A: Sevilla, Apoel Nicosia, Qarabag, F91 Dudelange

Group B: Dynamo Kiev, FC Copenhagen, Malmo, Lugano

Group C: FC Basel, Krasnodar, Getafe, Trabzonspor

Group D: Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Rosenborg, LASK

Group E: Lazio, Celtic, Rennes, CFR Cluj

Group F: Arsenal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Standard Liege, Vitoria SC

Group G: Porto, Young Boys, Feyenoord, Rangers

Group H: CSKA Moscow, Ludogorets, Espanyol, Ferencvaros

Group I: Wolfsburg, Gent, St Etienne, Olexandriya

Group J: AS Roma, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Istanbul Basaksehir, Wolfsberger

Group K: Besiktas, Braga, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Slovan Bratislava

Group L: Manchester United, Astana, Partizan Belgrade, AZ Alkmaar

* Matches to be played on September 19, October 3, October 24, November 7, November 28 and December 12.

Reuters