Europa League: Ighalo Get Favourable Last 16 Draw, Aribo Face Tough Opponents

Odion Ighalo will fancy his chances of scoring and progressing further in the Europa League after his Manchester United side were drawn against Austrian Bundesliga leaders LASK in the last 16 of the competition.

The draws which were held at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon on Friday pitted the 2016 winners with LASK who were runners up in the Austrian Bundesliga last season.

The first leg of the tie is scheduled for the Linzer Stadion, TGW Arena in Linz on 12 March, with the second leg a week later at Old Trafford on 19 March.

Linz entered the competition after they lost in the Champions League qualifying rounds to Club Bruges.

The Valerien Ismael led team have already faced the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon and beat AZ Alkmaar in the last 32 to qualify for the last 16.

United qualified for the last 16 with a 6-1 thrashing of Club Brugge with Odion Ighalo bagging his first goal for the Red Devils in the 5-0 annihilation of the Belgian side in the return leg of their last 32 tie on Thursday.

In what may be further good news for United, new signing Bruno Fernandes has already scored against their last 16 opponents for Sporting Lisbon before his move to England in January.

Elsewhere, Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo faces a more difficult task of progressing to the quarterfinals after Rangers were drawn against German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

Aribo scored a wondergoal to help Rangers fightback to beat SC Braga 3-2 in the first leg of their Round of 32 fixture. That result set Rangers up nicely to win 1-0 in Portugal to qualify for the last 16.

Leverkusen progressed to the last 16 at the expense of FC Porto who the German side defeated home and away.

Former U23 national team captain Azubuike Okechukwu will also fancy his Turkish club’s chances of progressing after his Istanbul Basaksehir were drawn against FC Copenhagen.

In other ties, Victor Moses’ Inter Milan take on Getafe who have Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo in their ranks. Sevilla tackle Roma, while Olympiacos have been handed another tie with English opposition Wolverhampton Wanderers after the Greeks dumped out Arsenal.

The first leg of the last-16 ties is scheduled to be played on 12 March, with the second leg a week later on 19 March.

EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES

Istanbul Basaksehir v FC Copenhagen
Olympiakos v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen
Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk
Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v Roma
Red Bull Salzburg or Eintracht Frankfurt v Basel
LASK v Manchester United