Plotting the paths of Man Utd and Spurs to Europa League final

With the Europa League’s new league phase and play-offs now over at long, long last, we can work out quite a few things.

It’s straight knockout football from the last 16 onwards, and the new format means that now the last-16 draw is completed we have a full clear bracket all the way to the final.

You can see all this same info for the Champions League here if you’re more of a Tuesday/Wednesday kind of guy than a Thursday. No judgement.

Now, let’s have a bit of fun and map out some possible routes to the final for the Brits, yeah? Obviously this gets sketchier and sketchier the deeper you go, but we’re going to assume – obviously wrongly – that the seedings from the league phase finishing positions hold true and the ‘better’ or at least higher-ranked teams always prevail…

Man United’s potential route to the Europa League final

Finishing third secures them a favourable seeding and means avoiding the top two until the semis at least. With Spurs right behind United in fourth, the two English clubs are also now certain to be on opposite sides of the knockout bracket and cannot meet until the final. Think of it like a tennis tournament and you’ll get the idea.

Last 16: Real Sociedad
Quarter-final: Lyon
Semi-final: Athletic Club
Final: Lazio

Tottenham’s potential route to the Europa League final

In the opposite half of the draw to United and probably emerge as marginally the happier of the two after the draw. Not much in it, really.

Last 16: AZ Alkmaar
Quarter-final: Eintracht Frankfurt
Semi-final: Lazio
Final: Athletic Club

Rangers’ potential route to the Europa League final

Rangers played both English clubs during the league phase and find themselves in Man United’s half of the draw as potential semi-final opponents. But first up, a meeting with Jose Mourinho.

Last 16: Fenerbahce
Quarter-final: Athletic Club
Semi-final: Man United
Final: Lazio