Erik ten Hag will lead Manchester United to two unfamiliar countries for the club in the Europa League this season after the Red Devils discovered their opponents in Friday's draw for the group stage.
The toughest test for Ten Hag's men appears to be La Liga side Real Sociedad, a team United beat 4-0 in the away leg of their last-32 tie in 2021 before a goalless return match at Old Trafford.
United finished top of Group F in the Champions League last season, with 11 points from six games thanks to Ronaldo's crucial goals, but they were dumped out in the last 16 by Atletico Madrid.
The addition of Casemiro brings crucial European experience to the team and they will be labelled favourites from the off on their return to Europe's second-tier competition.
Man United's Europa League group in 2022/23
Manchester United were drawn in Group F of the 2022/23 Europa League along with Real Sociedad, Sheriff Tiraspol and Omonia.
Group E:
- Manchester United
- Real Sociedad
- Sheriff Tiraspol
- Omonia
Real Sociedad
United beat La Real 4-0 on aggregate in the 2020/21 round of 32 on their way to the final, with all of the goals coming in the first leg, which was played in Turin.
Sheriff Tiraspol
United have never played against a Moldovan team. Sheriff became the first team from the country to play in the Champions League when they qualified for the group stage last season, pulling off a huge shock when they beat eventual champions Real Madrid away.
Omonia
Managed by former Premier League midfielder and Celtic manager Neil Lennon, Cypriot Cup winners Omonia also represent a new country for United to visit. Omonia beat Gent 2-0 home and away to qualify for the Europa League.
Man United Europa League odds
United are 6/1 second-favourites with SkyBet to win the UEFA Europa League, behind Arsenal. The Sporting News will update this page with latest odds when they become available.
| Club | Odds to win group (USA: FanDuel) |
Odds to win group; odds to qualify (UK: SkyBet) |
Odds to win group (Canada: SportsInteraction) |
Odds to win group (Australia: Bet365) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man United | -175 | 4/7 | -222 | TBC |
| Real Sociedad | +210 | 2/1 | +220 | TBC |
| Sheriff Tiraspol | +1400 | 11/1 | +1896 | TBC |
| Omonia | +1900 | 14/1 | +1397 | TBC |
Odds correct as of Aug. 26
Man United's Europa League draw
United qualified for the 2022/23 Europa League after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season.
The 32 teams that qualified for the group stage were split into four pots of eight teams each. A club will be selected from each of those pots to make up each of Groups A-H.
Pot 1 was reserved for the defending Europa Conference League champions (AS Roma) with the 2021/22 Europa League winners (Eintracht Frankfurt), promoted to the Champions League.
Ten Hag's United had already confirmed a spot in Pot 1, due to their coefficient ranking, alongside Arsenal, but could not have faced Mikel Arteta's side in the group stages.
Teams in Pots 2-4 were ranked according to their own UEFA club coefficient ranking.
Man United's Europa League fixtures
United will face each other side in their group twice, in home and away fixtures, on the following dates:
| Matchday | Dates | Fixture | Time (UK) | Time (USA) | Time (Canada) | Time (Australia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 8-9, 2022 | vs. Real Sociedad | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 05:00 AEST |
| 2 | Sept. 15-16, 2022 | @ Sheriff | 17:45 BST | 12:45 ET | 12:45 ET | 02:45 AEST |
| 3 | Oct. 6-7, 2022 | @ Omonia | 17:45 BST | 12:45 ET | 12:45 ET | 03:45 AEDT |
| 4 | Oct. 13-14, 2022 | vs. Omonia | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 06:00 AEDT |
| 5 | Oct. 27-28, 2022 | vs. Sheriff | 20:00 BST | 15:00 ET | 15:00 ET | 06:00 AEDT |
| 6 | Nov. 3-4, 2022 | @ Real Sociedad | 20:00 GMT | 16:00 ET | 16:00 ET | 07:00 AEDT |
If United finish top of their group after the six matches, they will advance directly to the round of 16 as a seeded team. The runners-up in each of the groups will go into the round of 16 playoffs, where they will be paired with the third-placed teams dropping down from the Champions League group stage.
Here's the road to the final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary.
| Round | 1st Leg | 2nd Leg |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 playoffs | Feb.16, 2023 | Feb.23, 2023 |
| Round of 16 | Mar.9, 2023 | Mar.16, 2023 |
| Quarterfinals | Apr. 13, 2023 | Apr. 20, 2023 |
| Semifinals | May 11, 2023 | May 18, 2023 |
| Final | May 31, 2023 | |
Man United's history in the Europa League
Despite their glory of becoming the first English side to win the European Cup in 1968 and the modern Champions League in 1999, United have enjoyed more success in the Europa League in recent seasons.
Their first direct qualification for the newly formatted competition, via a league finish, resulted in Jose Mourinho's side winning the 2017 final against Ajax.
Since then, United have reached the semifinals and final of the competition, in 2020 and 2021. Sevilla knocked them out of the 2020 semis and Villarreal won the 2022 final on penalties.
| Season | Stage Reached | Eliminated by |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | Final | Villarreal |
| 2019-20 | Semifinals | Sevilla |
| 2016-17 | Final | Winners |
| 2015-16 | Round of 16 | Liverpool |
| 2011-12 | Round of 16 | Athletic Bilbao |
