Rangers, the Scottish Premiership side, have been drawn to face both Manchester United and Tottenham in the new-look league phase of the Europa League. This exciting draw will see Rangers playing against Spurs at Ibrox, while they will travel to Old Trafford to face off against Manchester United for the first time in 14 years.
The Europa League has undergone significant changes this year, following the footsteps of the Champions League. The traditional group stage has been replaced by a league phase, where each team will play eight fixtures. This new format aims to provide a fresh and more competitive approach to the tournament.
Manchester United, in addition to facing Rangers, will also reunite with their former manager, Jose Mourinho, as they travel to Fenerbahce and play against Mourinho’s old side, Porto, away. Meanwhile, Tottenham will host Roma and have away games against Galatasaray and Hoffenheim.
For Rangers, their other fixtures include a challenging trip to last season’s Europa Conference League champions, Olympiakos, and a match against French side Nice. These matchups promise thrilling encounters and will test Rangers’ mettle in the competition.
The draw was conducted in a hi-tech manner, with former Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz replacing Cristiano Ronaldo to press the all-important button. The order of matches for the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League will be confirmed on Saturday, adding to the anticipation and excitement surrounding these tournaments.
The new format of the Europa League sees an expanded 36-team competition. Each team will play eight games – four at home and four away – in a league system. They will face two opponents from each of the four seeding pots. The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the last 16, while teams finishing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for a chance to join them. Teams finishing 25th or lower will be eliminated and will not enter the Europa Conference League.
With the new format, the number of matches in the Europa League will increase from 125 to 189. This means that each team will play a minimum of eight games, instead of the previous six, and a maximum of 17 games. The league phase will begin on 25-26 September and run until 30 January, providing a longer and more intense competition.
Overall, the new-look league phase of the Europa League promises exciting matchups and increased competition. Rangers’ clashes with Manchester United and Tottenham will be highlights of the tournament. The expanded format ensures more matches for each team, providing fans with a longer and more thrilling European football experience.