NYON, SWITZERLAND // Triple European champions Manchester United and their under-fire manager Louis van Gaal face a tricky task against little-known Midtjylland in the last 32 of the Europa League.
United, knocked out of the Uefa Champions League last week, meet the Danish league winners, an unsung club backed by owner Matthew Benham who are in their first European campaign and eliminated Southampton earlier in the competition.
Read more: Richard Jolly writes error-prone Louis van Gaal may not be the right man for Manchester United job
Midtjylland chairman Rasmus Ankersen, appointed by Benham, who also owns English second-tier club Brentford, issued a warning after the draw.
“We have already beaten one English team so we are not afraid,” Ankersen said. “We are a small club with a small budget, so we have to out-think them and, so far, this way has worked for us in the Europa League.
“If we can beat Southampton we can beat Manchester United and the players will feel that and believe it.”
In other eye-catching ties, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp returns to Germany to face Augsburg, while Sevilla, bidding for a hat-trick of Europa League titles, meet Norwegian team Molde.
Former Champions League winners Borussia Dortmund and Porto lock horns while Marseille take on Athletic Bilbao, Anderlecht play Olympiakos, Shakhtar Donetsk face Schalke and Lazio meet Galatasaray.
Europa League last 32 draw
(First legs on February 18; return legs on February 25)
• Valencia v Rapid Vienna
• Fiorentina v Tottenham Hotspur
• Borussia Dortmund v Porto
• Fenerbahce v Lokomotiv Moscow
• Anderlecht v Olympiakos Piraeus
• Midtjylland v Manchester United
• Augsburg v Liverpool
• Sparta Prague v Krasnodar
• Galatasaray v Lazio
• Sion v Braga
• Shakhtar Donetsk v Schalke
• Marseille v Athletic Bilbao
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