The play-off stages for both the Europa League and Champions League are underway, as teams compete for the remaining 36 places in a newly expanded league table.
Manchester United, returning after a one-year absence, are seen as strong contenders, especially since no teams will be relegated from the Champions League this season, which might benefit them if they advance to the knockout phases.
However, to reach that point, United must first navigate through eight group-stage matches, split equally between home and away games, against a mix of known and lesser-known teams.
In the Europa League draw, Manchester United will be in Pot 1, holding the second-highest seeding based on UEFA’s coefficient rankings.
They will face teams from Pots 2, 3, and 4, but will avoid other Pot 1 teams. Additionally, they will not play against another English team (such as Tottenham) and can only meet up to two teams from the same country.
Pot 1: Roma, Porto, Rangers, Eintracht Frankfurt, Lazio
Pot 2: Olympiacos, Lyon
Pot 1 or 2: Real Sociedad, AZ Alkmaar
Pot 3 or 4: Malmo, Athletic Club, Hoffenheim, Nice, Twente, Ludogorets Razgrad or Petrocub, RFS or APOEL, Anderlecht or Dinamo Minsk, Besiktas or Lugano
Pending Pot Assignment: Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, USG, Dynamo Kyiv, Red Star Belgrade or Bodo/Glimt, Lille or Slavia Prague, Dinamo Zagreb or Qarabag, Midtjylland or Slovan Bratislava, Ajax or Jagiellonia Bialystok, LASK or FCSB, Maccabi Tel Aviv or TSC, Shamrock Rovers or PAOK, Ferencvaros or Borac Banja Luka, Molde or Elfsborg, Braga or Rapid Wien, Hearts or Viktoria Plzen.
UEFA will confirm and release the exact match times on Saturday.
– Matchday 1: September 25-26, 2024
– Matchday 2: October 3, 2024
– Matchday 3: October 24, 2024
– Matchday 4: November 7, 2024
– Matchday 5: November 28, 2024
– Matchday 6: December 12, 2024
– Matchday 7: January 23, 2025
– Matchday 8: January 30, 2025
