Porto faces a significant challenge as they aim to overcome the formidable Roma in what is widely considered the most intriguing matchup in the upcoming Europa League play-offs.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho‘s Fenerbahce will host the Belgian side Anderlecht in a highly anticipated Europa League play-off clash.
Note that Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Rangers have all secured their spots in the Europa League’s last 16, having advanced directly without needing play-offs.
This means that Manchester United and Tottenham cannot meet each other until the final, adding an interesting twist to the tournament structure.
In the play-off round, Real Sociedad from Spain will face Denmark’s Midtjylland, while AZ Alkmaar from the Netherlands will face Turkish giants Galatasaray. The winners of these ties will advance to the knockout stage, where they will face Manchester United or Tottenham.
The Europa League play-offs, scheduled for two legs on February 13 and February 20, will set the stage for what promises to be an exciting series of matches.
Here is the confirmed list of the Europa League knockout phase play-offs:
Ferencvaros (Hungary) vs. Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic)
Twente (Netherlands) vs. Bodo/Glimt (Norway)
Fenerbahce (Turkey) vs. Anderlecht (Belgium)
Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium) vs. Ajax (Netherlands)
PAOK (Greece) vs. FCSB (Romania)
AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) vs. Galatasaray (Turkey)
Midtjylland (Denmark) vs. Real Sociedad (Spain)
Porto (Portugal) vs. Roma (Italy)