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.
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.
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
- Manchester United boss Solskjaer breaks silence after Europa League loss to Villarreal
- Player Ratings as Manchester United fall to Villarreal in Europa League final
- Fans slam Manchester United after penalty shootout loss in Europa League final
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.