After missing out on Champions League football last season, Manchester United will be hoping to go all the way in the Europa League.
The main aim for the campaign will be to edge their way into a top-four finish in the Premier League, but Europe’s second-tier competition offers a backdoor passage to the big time. The Europa League was the last trophy United won some five years ago under former boss Jose Mourinho.
He will be competing in the competition this time around after guiding his Roma side to success in the inaugural Europa Conference League. Finalists Feyenoord are also in the hat.
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Also in this year's competition are top-four challengers Arsenal, who finished 11 Premier League points ahead in fifth last season. They are joined by Lazio, Braga, Rennes, Real Sociedad, Real Betis, Union Berlin, Freiburg and Nantes.
Others in the group stages include Strum Graz, Union Saint-Gilloise, Qarabag, Red Star Belgrade, Dynamo Kyiv and Midtjylland. Notable names in the final 10 play-off clashes for a place in the group stages include Fenerbahce, Hearts, Olympiacos and Irish minnows Shamrock Rovers.
The draw for the group stages - which start on September 8 - takes place in Istanbul, Turkey at midday on August 26. Matchday Two takes place on September 15 while United will also play on October 6, 13 and 27. Due to the World Cup, a condensed schedule means the group stages will conclude on November 3.
If United come runners-up in their group, they will have to go through the extra play-off knockout round, which will feature the eight teams who finished third in their Champions League group.
Home and away legs for this will be played on February 16 and 23. Should United finish as group winners, they will immediately progress through to the last 16, which will take place on March 9 and 16.
The quarter-finals are played on April 13 and 20 with the semi-finals almost a month later on May 11 and 18. The final will be held at the 65,000-capacity Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary on May 31.
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