Europa League round of 16 round draw details

Here's everything you need to know ahead of Friday's (21 February) UEFA Europa League round of 16 draw.

On Friday, we shall discover our opponents for the competition's last 16 via a draw at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

Starting at 12noon (UK), with the knockout stages now structured through a bracket system, the draw will not just confirm our opponents for the round of 16 but also our potential opponents, if we are successful, for each of the following stages - the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

We booked our place in the last 16 with a top-eight finish in the 36-team league phase. That meant we automatically bypassed the 16-team knockout play-off stage which was completed on Thursday night.

By virtue of us finishing fourth in the League Phase, we knew that we would face one of four possible opponents in the round of 16 - Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, Real Sociedad or FC Midtjylland - all of which would be battling it out in the knockout stage play-offs.

Now, after the conclusion of the play-offs, that set of four has become two with Real Sociedad running out victors over Midtjylland and AZ defeating Galatasaray on aggregate.

Sociedad and AZ have already learnt on which side of the bracket they will sit, with the Dutch side on the left-hand side of the bracket and the Spanish side on the right. On Friday, we will be assigned to a side of the bracket and our opponents for the round of 16.

For the draw, we will be placed in the same designated bowl as our paired club, Manchester United - the sides who finished third and fourth in the League Phase are paired at this stage.

Once drawn, the first team to be drawn out of us and United will be placed on the left side of the draw before the second is placed on the right-hand side of the draw.

With us and United separated on the bracket, it means we are unable to face them, assuming both sides progress, until the Final.

With our round of 16 opponents at that point confirmed, the fixtures will also be confirmed. We know already, as the seeded side, we will travel to face either Real Sociedad or AZ Alkmaar first, playing them away on Thursday 6 March before the return leg is played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday 13 March. 

The key details

What time is the draw?

Friday 21 February at 12noon (UK)

Who can we face?

Real Sociedad

AZ Alkmaar

How to watch?

You can watch the draw live on TNT Sports 1 while it will be available to stream on the Discovery+ app and TNT Sports' YouTube channel.

When will the round of 16 ties be played?

First leg - Thursday 6 March (A)

Second leg - Thursday 13 March at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium