Man United get Europa League group with Silva’s Sociedad

GENEVA (AP):

MANCHESTER UNITED will start another season in the Europa League in a group with Real Sociedad, Sheriff and Omonoia after the draw was made yesterday.

United, which won the Europa League in 2017 and were the beaten finalists two years ago, entered the second-tier competition by placing just sixth in the English Premier League last season.

It was unclear yesterday if Cristiano Ronaldo will still be at the club for the first round of games on September 8, with more speculation linking him to a move from Old Trafford, this time with Napoli, who are in the Champions League. On Thursday, Napoli were drawn in the same group as Liverpool.

The draw brings United face-to-face again with long-time Manchester City favourite David Silva, who returned to Spain to play for Sociedad, and involves two of the longest journeys to away games in the draw – to Moldova and Cyprus.

The Russian war on Ukraine has affected Man United’s trip to face Sheriff, who have been playing European home games in Chisinau instead of their home city Tiraspol. Tiraspol is in the Russian-supporting breakaway region of Transnistria, which borders Ukraine.

UEFA decided in June to block Sheriff playing in Tiraspol citing “the large-scale military escalation resulting in the invasion of the Ukrainian territory by the Russian army”. Russian teams are also currently banned from all UEFA competitions.

Dynamo Kyiv of Ukraine – who will play their home games in neighbouring Poland – will face Rennes, Fenerbahçe and AEK Larnaca.

Arsenal’s fifth Europa League campaign in six seasons will be in a group with PSV Eindhoven – coached by former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy – Bodø/Glimt and Zürich.

Roma coach Jose Mourinho is back in the competition he won with Man United five years ago. The Europa Conference League title holders were drawn in a group with Ludogorets, Real Betis and HJK Helsinki.

The Europa League group stage will end more than one month sooner than usual on November 3. That is because of the World Cup in Qatar, which starts on November 20.

The six rounds of group-stage games span just eight full weeks before a midwinter break until the knockout playoffs round starts on February 16.

Group winners advance direct to the round of 16 in March and runners-up go to the knockout playoffs, with the eight teams switching across from the Champions League after finishing third in a group there.

GROUP A: Arsenal (England), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Bodø/Glimt (Norway), Zurich (Switzerland).

GROUP B: Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine), Rennes (France), Fenerbahçe (Turkey), AEK Larnaca (Cyprus).

GROUP C: Roma (Italy), Ludogorets (Bulgaria), Real Betis (Spain), HJK Helsinki (Finland).

GROUP D: Braga (Portugal), Malmö (Sweden), Union Berlin (Germany), Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium).

GROUP E: Manchester United (England), Real Sociedad (Spain), Sheriff (Moldova), Omonoia (Cyprus)

GROUP F: Lazio (Italy), Feyenoord (Netherlands), Midtjylland (Denmark), Sturm Graz (Austria).

GROUP G: Olympiakos (Greece), Qarabağ (Azerbaijan), Freiburg (Germany), Nantes (France).

GROUP H: Red Star Belgrade (Serbia), Monaco (France), Ferencváros (Hungary), Trabzonspor (Turkey).