Europa League draw: Man City face Porto, Man United take on Ajax

Man City will face Europa League holders Porto, Man United were drawn against Ajax, while Stoke City will play Valencia

By The Sport Review
Friday 16 December 2011, 13:02 UK

The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League took place on Friday Photo: The Sport Review

Manchester City will face Europa League holders Porto for a place in the last 16, while Manchester United will take on Dutch champions Ajax after the draw was made on Friday.

If City, who finished third in Champions League Group A behind Bayern Munich and Napoli, get past Porto they will be rewarded with a tie against either Legia Warsaw or Sporting Lisbon in the last 16.

“It’s amazing,” said Manchester City football administrator Brian Marwood. “We’ve gone through the hardest group in the Champions League and now got the holders of the Europa League.

“It’s a big game for the club and we’ll be taking it seriously as Roberto Mancini said. It is a busy schedule but we haven’t had to do the early rounds. We look forward to it, Porto are very attractive opposition.”

Meanwhile, United will travel to the Amsterdam Arena to take on Frank De Boer’s Ajax, who won last season’s Eredivisie title. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will face either Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao for a place in the quarter-finals if they reach the last 16.

Stoke City will take on Valencia at the Britannia Stadium in the first leg of their last 32 clash, with Tony Pulis’ side facing a tough second-leg trip away at the Mestalla. Should Stoke defeat their La Liga opponents, they will take on Trabzonspor or PSV for a place in the last eight.