in , , , , , ,

Europa League heartbreak could offer Man United this UCL advantage next season

Manchester United set to offer David de Gea a contract extension following recent showings.
David de Gea endured a difficult end to the 2020-21 campaign.

Manchester United may get a Champions League advantage thanks to their Europa League heartbreak

According to The Express, losing to Villarreal in the Europa League may have handed Manchester United a huge favour heading into next season’s UEFA Champions League.

The Red Devils have already confirmed their spot in the premier competition with a second-place finish in the Premier League this season.

Winning the Europa League would have placed us in Pot 1 of the group stage draw for the Champions League. Having missed out, we now find ourselves consigned to Pot 2.

Manchester United may have given themselves a Champions League advantage thanks to their Europa heartbreak
United lost to Villarreal in the Europa League final

While it may seem counter-intuitive, it could however get us an easier draw in the competition. This is thanks to the clubs that will be alongside us in the second pot.

The likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain all find themselves in Pot 2 given the season they have had. Meanwhile, the likes of Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Sporting Lisbon and Lille will be in Pot 1.

Inter and Lille look set to lose their star players and could be pale shadows of the teams that won their respective leagues this season. Atletico lack the sharpness of old and Lisbon are manageable assuming we turn up.

United will be in Pot 2 alongside Liverpool (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

There is also the possibility that we could be drawn up against Villarreal. Having learned our lesson in Gdansk, we will hopefully be better prepared this time around.

We may land ourselves a difficult draw by landing Bayern Munich. While it is a possibility, the odds are stacked well in our favour.

More Manchester United News

All things said, the promise of an easier draw is scant consolation for a team that failed to see through a major European final. It must not take away focus from the truth that we once again failed to turn up when it mattered.

There are no easy games in the Champions League and we will have to beat the best if we are serious about being the best. How United approach the competition next season should prove interesting.

Written by Pranav Nair

An Engineering postgraduate with a keen interest in statistics, pop culture and football.

former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has taken a swipe at Bruno Fernandes after he failed to turn up for Portugal at the Euros.

“Annoyed me” – Former French ace slams Man United star for antics vs Villarreal

Manchester United set to offer David de Gea a contract extension following recent showings.

Report – De Gea ignored key advice in Europa League penalty shootout