Tough ties for English trio
December 16, 2011 13:05:10 UK
Wayne Rooney will be experiencing Europa League football for the first time.Manchester United have been drawn against Ajax in the last 32 of the Europa League while Manchester City have been paired with FC Porto.
Meanwhile, England's third representatives and last season's FA Cup runners-up Stoke City will play Valencia in another mouth-watering clash.
Ajax, four times winners of Europe's premier competition, FC Porto and Valencia all finished third in their Champions League groups this season, Los Che losing at Chelsea in their final game as they moved into the Europa League.
Valencia won the UEFA Cup in the 2003-04 season and were Champions League finalists in both 1999-2000 and 2000-01 while FC Porto are the Europa League holders after beating Braga in last season's final. They won the Champions League as recently as 2003-04 under Jose Mourinho's stewardship.
Ajax and FC Porto both won their domestic league titles last season.
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Other interesting match-ups see Lazio take on Atletico Madrid, AZ Alkmaar coming up against Anderlecht and Braga facing Besiktas.
If Sir Alex Ferguson's side, 1213.00 to win the Europa League, can see off Ajax, they will play Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao in the last 16 while City will face Legia Warsaw or Sporting Lisbon if they knock FC Porto out.
Stoke City, 1213.00 to win the competition, will play either Trabzonspor or PSV Eindhoven if they beat Valencia.
Draw for the round of 32:
Porto v Manchester City
Ajax v Manchester United
Lokomotiv Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
Salzburg v Metalist Kharkiv
Stoke City v Valencia
Rubin Kazan v Olympiakos
AZ Alkmaar v Anderlecht
Lazio v Atletico Madrid
Steaua Bucharest v FC Twente
Viktoria Plzen v Schalke
Wisla Krakow v Standard Liege
Braga v Besiktas
Udinese v PAOK
Trabzonspor v PSV Eindhoven
Hannover v Club Brugge
Legia Warsaw v Sporting Lisbon
Draw for the round of 16:
Salzburg/Metalist Kharkiv v Rubin Kazan/Olympiakos
Legia Warsaw/Sporting Lisbon v Porto/Manchester City
Steaua Bucharest/FC Twente v Viktoria Plzen/Schalke
Wisla Krakow/Standard Liege v Hannover/Club Brugge
Stoke City/Valencia v Trabzonspor/PSV Eindhoven
AZ Alkmaar/Anderlecht v Udinese/PAOK
Lazio/Atletico Madrid v Braga/Besiktas
Ajax/Manchester United v Lokomotiv Moscow/Athletic Bilbao
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