Despite winning five of their six games, the Red Devils placed second in their Europa League group. The team defeated Sheriff Tiraspol and Omonia Nicosia on two separate occasions before finishing their group stage with a narrow 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in Spain. However, the La Liga team earned an automatic spot in the round of 16, because of their better goal differential.
Following Mikel Arteta’s team’s victory in their group, which also featured PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt, and FC Zurich, they will now join United’s Premier League foe, Arsenal, in the draw for the last-16, which will take place the following year.
Meanwhile, United must manage a match against Barcelona, an exile of the Champions League.
In addition to the Red Devils and their other group runners-up, the play-off round draw included clubs that had actually dropped out of the Champions League on Monday afternoon in Nyon.
With teams like Ajax, Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Red Bull Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla, and Juventus all getting demoted, there might have been a number of tense matches.
In the end, Erik ten Hag’s team will face off against the Catalan powerhouses in an effort to advance to the next round of the Europa league.
The opening legs of the play-offs are planned for February 16, and the second legs will follow a week later on February 23.