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Who could Arsenal face in the Europa League round of 16?
It’s been a while since Arsenal were in Europa League action, but the competition will quickly reemerge at the forefront of Mikel Arteta’s thinking after Friday’s round of 16 draw.
The Gunners’ impressive group stage campaign saw them top Group A and advance straight into the last 16. The club avoided playing two extra games in the knockout playoff round.
Some might regard the return of this competition as an inconvenience given Arsenal’s current Premier League standing, but the club’s poor European pedigree would render victory in Budapest significant.
Whether Arsenal boast the squad to compete on multiple fronts down the stretch remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that Arteta will take the Europa League knockouts seriously.
Here’s who the Gunners could face in the round of 16.
When is the Europa League round of 16 draw?
The Europa League round of 16 draw takes place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday 24 February. The ceremony begins at 11:00 BST.
How to watch the Europa League round of 16 draw?
UEFA will be streaming the round of 16 draw on their official website.
Who could Arsenal draw in the Europa League round of 16?
Here are Arsenal’s potential opponents in the Europa League round of 16:
- Sevilla
- Juventus
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Sporting CP
- Union Berlin
- AS Roma
- Shakhtar Donetsk
Arsenal will be paired against one of the eight winners of the knockout round playoff ties, but they cannot face Man Utd in the round of 16. Thus, there are seven possibilities for the Gunners.
None of the ties look particularly easy on paper. Sporting CP have lost Pedro Porro and haven’t been in the best form domestically, so that might be a tie the Gunners fancy. Sevilla have also endured a wretched campaign in La Liga, but their European pedigree, especially in this competition, can’t be disputed.
Bundesliga clubs Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin are also on the table. The former impressively bypassed AS Monaco to enter Friday’s draw and are blessed with an array of young talent. Union Berlin, meanwhile, are as rugged as they come. That will be far from an easy tie.
Then there are the Italian representatives: Juventus and Roma. Drawing the Giallorossi will mean a match-up against a familiar foe in Jose Mourinho, while a two-legged affair with Juve will undoubtedly excite supporters.
The Gunners will back themselves against anybody, that’s for sure.