Europa League Round Of 16: United Drawn Against FC Rostov

Manchester United have been paired against FC Rostov of Russia in the Europa League Round of 16 following a draw in Nyon, Switzerland, shortly after noon on Friday.

The first leg will be held at the Olimp-2 stadium on Thursday 9 March before the return fixture at Old Trafford on Thursday 16 March. In between those games will be the Reds' Emirates FA Cup sixth-round tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, scheduled for Monday 13 March. 

United progressed to this stage of the competition by securing an impressive 4-0 aggregate win over Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne in the last 32 on Wednesday, after previously finishing second in Group A.

Rostov started the season in the Champions League and their third-placed finish in Group D, behind Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, led to them entering the Europa League at the Round of 32 stage. They subsequently secured an excellent 5-1 aggregate win over Sparta Prague to be paired with United. 

HOW DID JOSE MOURINHO REACT?

"It's a bad draw in every aspect," the manager admitted in his press conference at the Aon Training Complex on Friday. "It's far and is difficult. It's far and comes in a bad period for us. It's difficult because they are a very difficult team, they had a very good Champions League campaign. 

"They beat Ajax and Anderlecht in the play-offs and then in the group phase they obviously had a very difficult group with Bayern and Atletico  and they managed important results against them. They beat Bayern and drew Atletico, they got third position leaving PSV out. 

"I know the manager well, I played against him when he was in Rubin Kazan and I was in Italy in Inter [Milan] and the team is really difficult, very defensive, very physical, so a bad draw but after Southampton and after Bournemouth we focus on it and we go for it."

EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 IN FULL

Celta Vigo v FC Krasnodar 
APOEL FC v RSC Anderlecht 
FC Schalke 04 v Borussia Monchengladbach 
Olympique Lyonnais v AS Roma
FC Rostov v Manchester United
Olympiacos v Besiktas 
KAA Gent v KRC Genk
AFC Ajax v FC Copenhagen