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Europa League draw: Manchester United await destiny together with Liverpool and Tottenham

The 16 teams through to the knockout stages of the Champions League are eagerly awaiting Monday’s draw to find out who they will face in the next round.

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The draw for Europe’s second-string competition is made in Switzerland at midday on Monday with United joining Liverpool, Tottenham and Gary Neville’s Valencia in the last 32.

Louis van Gaal and Manchester United are not among them after their Champions League campaign ended in disappointment with a a 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg.

The teams have been split into two groups, with 16 seeded and 16 not.

The 2004 winners Valencia suffered a disappointing Champions League exit and will hope to make the best of their season with a strong push in the Europa League.

Tottenham got the toughest draw of the three English sides when they were paired with Fiorentina, now flying high in second place in Serie A.

“They could finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League again”.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp will head back to Germany in the Europa League’s round of 32, though he avoided his old team.

Other notable ties in the round include Borussia Dortmund v Porto, Villarreal v Napoli, Sporting Lisbon v Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray v Lazio.

The first legs will be played on February 18 and the return matches seven days later.

Like United and Porto, two-time defending Europa League champion Sevilla dropped into the second-tier competition after placing third in a Champions League group.

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