Article

Europa League preview: New challenge for Manchester clubs

13 February 2012 11:03

Manchester United's bid to win the Europa League begins in the Netherlands on Thursday when they travel to Ajax Amsterdam.

Last season's Champions League finalists failed to make it out of Group C after an embarrassing 2-1 loss at FC Basel of Switzerland on the final match-day.

Ajax were unlucky to miss out on the group stage themselves as Lyon's freak 7-1 win against Dinamo Zagreb tipped them out of Europe's top-tier competition on goal difference.

This match-up pits two of Europe's most famous football clubs together, with Ajax having won four Champions League titles and one UEFA Cup in their illustrious history.

Manchester United have three Champions League titles in their trophy cabinet but they have never won Europe's second-tier competition before.

Manchester United - who sit second on the English Premier League table - are joined by cross-town rivals Manchester City in the competition after they failed to make it through a group containing Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villarreal.

City kick off their campaign with a tricky away leg at Liga Sagres outfit Porto, who won the Europa League last year and are unbeaten in their last seven home games in Europe.

Atletico Madrid, the 2010 Europa League champions, are away at Serie A outfit Lazio, while 2011 finalists Braga welcome Turkish side Besiktas.

Eredivisie table-toppers AZ Alkmaar play host to Belgians Anderlecht while another Dutch side, FC Twente, are on the road to Romania to play Steaua Bucharest.

Udinese have performed well this season in the Serie A and will fancy their chances against PAOK Salonika of Greece and Premier League side Stoke City face the biggest test of their continental season when they host La Liga giants Valencia.

Wisla Krakow's last minute draw at Fulham was enough to book them progression into the round of 32 and they are at home to Standard Liege, while their Polish counterparts Legia Warsaw welcome Sporting Lisbon of Portugal.

German side Schalke qualified for the Champions League semi-finals last season and will feel confident of progressing against Czech outfit Viktoria Plzen, while PSV Eindhoven tackle Trabzonspor of Turkey.

Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg are at home to Ukraine's Metalist Kharkiv, Rubin Kazan of Russia play Greek side Olympiakos, Rubin's compatriots Lokomotiv Moscow host Athletic Bilbao and Bundesliga side Hannover welcome Belgians Club Brugge.

Info

Ajax

W W W D W

0 - 2

Manchester United

D W L D W

Competition

Half-time: 0 - 0
Full-time: 0 - 2

On aggregate: 2 - 3

Venue: Amsterdam ArenA (Amsterdam)
Attendance: 48966

Goals

	0 - 1	59' A. Young
	0 - 2	85' J. Hernández (assist by W. Rooney)

Lineups

#	Player	Bookings
1	K. Vermeer
4	J. Vertonghen
3	T. Alderweireld	87'
42	D. Koppers
28	I. Aissati
10	S. de Jong	54'
5	V. Anita
8	C. Eriksen
23	A. Özbiliz
19	D. Bulykin
7	M. Sulejmani
Coach: F. de Boer

#	Player	Bookings
1	De Gea
5	R. Ferdinand
6	J. Evans
20	Fábio	52'
4	P. Jones
16	M. Carrick
18	A. Young	59'
17	Nani
23	T. Cleverley
10	W. Rooney
14	J. Hernández	85'
Coach: A. Ferguson

Substitutes

#	Player	Bookings
34	R. van Rhijn for D. Bulykin 60'
15	N. Boilesen for D. Koppers 63'
37	J. Lukoki for A. Özbiliz 80'
17	D. Blind
22	J. Cillessen
18	N. Lodeiro
25	T. Serero

#	Player	Bookings
22	P. Scholes for T. Cleverley 61'
25	A. Valencia for A. Young 76'
19	D. Welbeck for Nani 86'
40	B. Amos
12	C. Smalling
13	Ji-Sung Park
42	P. Pogba

Thursday 23 May

10:23	Zabaleta excited by Pellegrini
09:53	Ramos: Bale is ´Real Madrid-quality´
08:59	Hart urges City to go forward
05:27	Copa Libertadores Wrap: Santa Fe earn away win
05:24	Fiorentina reject Jovetic rumours
05:16	Piszczek set for post-season surgery
04:48	Adriano signs Barca extension
04:33	International Friendly: Venezuela 2 El Salvador 1
04:22	Bundesliga chief slams Qatar World Cup scheduling
03:52	Gignac wants Barton to stay
02:35	Ramsey, Walcott hail Wenger´s achievements
02:20	Loew regrets timing of German finale

Wednesday 22 May

20:56	Mourinho and Ronaldo given two-match bans
20:48	AFC Champions League Wrap: Lekhwiya hold on to progress
20:37	Thomas, Jara released by West Brom
20:16	Martinez to decide future
20:04	Pearce: Championship will not hold back McCarthy
19:05	Pulis: I understand Stoke´s decision
18:39	Vidic reflects on ´amazing´ season
18:17	Bale: Spurs will bounce back
17:56	Petrov to become academy coach at Aston Villa
17:56	De Laurentiis begins search for Mazzarri replacement
17:52	New York City FC appoint Reyna
17:50	Pardew: We should try emulate Liverpool
17:20	Ribery: Bayern stronger than Dortmund
17:04	Conte building for the future at Juventus
16:52	Bundesliga Play-off Preview: Hoffenheim v Kaiserslautern
16:52	Ibrahimovic coy on PSG future
16:33	Goetze to miss Champions League final
16:22	Giroud wants better European showing from Arsenal
16:07	Chelsea´s England players to leave tour early
16:05	Fiorentina capture Yakovenko
15:25	Pellegrini and Malaga to part company
15:04	Fulham sign Boateng
14:50	Green wants first-team football at QPR
14:12	Britton set for surgery
14:03	Neville interested in Everton job
13:42	Holloway: Brighton incident motivated Palace players
13:36	Rodgers confident of keeping Suarez at Liverpool
13:25	Eredivisie Preview: Twente v Utrecht
13:21	Etherington praises Pulis´ work at Stoke
13:17	Vlaar excited for new season at Aston Villa
12:01	Badstuber sidelined for 10 months after knee surgery
11:21	Clichy: Manchester City were right to sack Mancini
11:10	Cole set for West Ham departure
10:27	Lampard: It was tough under Benitez
10:11	Mourinho branded a ´failure´
06:44	Carroll out of England squad
05:37	Nasri throws support behind Pellegrini
05:07	Kewell unhappy with Australia omission
04:58	Messi: Neymar would be a wonderful addition
01:22	Doll: Dortmund are not underdogs

Tuesday 21 May

23:08	AFC Champions League Wrap: Seoul, Buriram, Al Ahli, Al Shabab advance
22:27	Pulis leaves Stoke
21:08	Sanogo relishing Arsenal move
21:05	Galtier signs extension at Saint-Etienne
20:32	Baines explains appearance record
20:28	Pulis future in doubt amid exit rumours
20:12	Swansea coach Tucker praises goalkeepers
19:25	West Ham sign Rat
19:10	McAuley eager to keep improving
18:43	Ribery keen to end career at Bayern
18:36	Reina plays down Barcelona speculation
18:20	De Boer agrees new Ajax deal
18:13	Sheffield United make McCall move
18:11	Heldt: Schalke interested in Santana
18:06	Messi urges Barcelona not to change
17:41	Manchester City agree MLS club deal with New York Yankees
16:57	Cech confident Chelsea will attract big names
16:48	Blackman urges Reading to be more ruthless
16:47	Montanier leaves Sociedad for Rennes
15:38	Rodgers pleased with Coutinho impact
15:30	Leonardo: Ibrahimovic and Silva to stay
15:08	Carroll thanks West Hams fans after loan spell
14:31	De Laurentiis confirms Dzeko interest
14:16	Wilshere dreams of England captaincy
14:14	Mourinho a ´scourge´ on Spanish football
14:02	Moratti will not rush decision on Stramaccioni´s future
13:43	Klopp warns Dortmund stars about leaving
12:44	Schneiderlin backs Southampton to improve
12:29	Podolski delighted with fourth spot
12:12	Sigurdsson targets improvement at Tottenham
11:17	Di Canio criticised by PFA chief
10:50	Steaua owner Becali jailed for three years
10:00	Hummels pledges future to Dortmund
09:46	Retiring Ferguson ´overwhelmed´ by recognition
09:31	J.League Preview: Top three expected to win
06:34	Argentine Primera Division Wrap: Tigre earn point at Lanus
06:21	Galtier wants Ancelotti to stay
06:09	Pique, Barca playing for record haul
04:41	Gazidis, Arsenal target silverware
03:17	Juan plots Inter redemption
03:08	Gibbs wants to build on strong finish
02:58	Racism will not drive out Drogba
02:28	Martinez coy on Wigan future
02:17	Fernandinho still seeking City switch
02:01	Roberto Carlos set to coach Sivasspor
00:13	Ferguson named LMA Manager of the Year

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