UEFA Europa League 2020/21 quarter-final draw: Manchester United draw Granada; Arsenal get Slavia Prague; Ajax face Roma
English giants Manchester United have drawn La Liga side Granada in Friday's Europa League quarter-finals draw. United's rivals Arsenal will face Czech outfit Slavia Prague while Ajax have the toughest draw of all, as they will face Roma. Dinamo Zagreb, who sprung a surprise by knocking out Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur, will take on Villarreal.
Granada are the second Spanish club that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men will face in the ongoing Europa League campaign, as they earlier drew Real Sociedad in the last 32. United defeated AC Milan 0-1 at the San Siro to progress into the final eight. They are due to play away in the first leg on April 8th but it remains to be seen where that match will take place. Due to travel restrictions from the UK to Spain as a result of the ongoing pandemic, United's first leg tie against Sociedad was shifted to Turin.
This is Granada's maiden season in Europe and they have overcome PSV Eindhoven, Napoli, and Solskjaer's former club Molde in the last three rounds. If United progress to the semifinals, they will face the winners of the blockbuster Ajax and Roma clash.
Arsenal will host Czech league leaders Slavia Prague in the first leg of their quarter-final. Slavia Prague impressed heavily as they eliminated Leicester City and Scottish champions Rangers in the previous two rounds. Mikel Arteta will go all out for the continental trophy as their Premier League top-four hopes have already faded. Lifting the Europa League is the only realistic way for Areteta's team to qualify for next season’s Champions League. If the Gunners go through they could face their former manager Unai Emery, who is at the helm of Villarreal.
The draw took place in Nyon, Switzerland, after the UEFA Champions League draw. The second leg fixtures will be played a week after the first round of ties on April 15th. The UEFA Europa League final will take place at Stadion Miejski in Gdansk, Poland on May 26th.
UEFA Europa League quarterfinal draw
QF1: Granada v Manchester United
QF2: Arsenal v Slavia Prague
QF3: Ajax v Roma
QF4: Dinamo Zagreb v Villarreal
UEFA Europa League semifinal draw
Winner of QF1 v Winner of QF3
Winner of QF2 v Winner of QF4