Angel Gomes in UEFA Youth League action against Juventus.

United youngsters await UEFA Youth League draw

Thursday 21 February 2019 12:15

Manchester United's Under-19s are awaiting to discover our next opponents in the UEFA Youth League round of 16.

The Reds qualified for the knockout stages as group winners after overcoming Juventus, Young Boys and Valencia but have had to wait for the play-offs, between the runners-up and teams on the domestic champions path, before discovering our next hurdle in the competition.

Nicky Butt's youngsters reached this stage last season, after beating Brodarac in the play-off, but were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at Tranmere Rovers' Prenton Park.

Mason Greenwood, taking on the Young Boys defence, has been in hot form in the competition.

There are some interesting potential opponents in the draw, which takes place in Nyon on Friday lunchtime.

Fellow English sides Chelsea, who recorded an impressive victory over Monaco, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are joined by Spanish contingent Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Midtjylland, whom Marcus Rashford - a former star in this competition - scored twice against on his senior debut in the Europa League, have also made it through.

UEFA Youth League last 16:

Ajax (Netherlands)
Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Barcelona (Spain)
Chelsea (England)
Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Hertha Berlin (Germany)
Hoffenheim (Germany)
Liverpool (England)
Lyon (France)
Manchester United (England)
Midtjylland (Denmark)
Montpellier (France)
Porto (Portugal)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Tottenham Hotspur (England)

Nicky Butt coaches United's Under-19s, as well as being the club's Head of Academy.

"It'll be a long wait until the next game in March," Butt told us recently. "I'd much rather do that though, than playing a long way away in February. It's been pleasing as it's a tricky competition for us because we obviously have got the dynamic where we don't have an Under-19s team. 

"We bring in the squad on a Monday and they usually can't train if they're recovering from a game from the weekend. So we're putting a team out there and trying to give them a little bit of information and the analysis work we do but it's been great to qualify early doors and come out on top of the group.

"We've done well in it and the lads that have come in from the bench have played their part. We had a young team in Valencia and did exceptionally well."

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