Manchester United qualify for UCL knock-out stages

With the completion of the Group Stage matches, Manchester United now clearly know their last 16 prospects. The Reds, topping Group H with 12 points will definitely face a second placed team from the remaining seven groups.

Arsenal could be eliminated from that list since the UEFA rules do not allow teams of the same league to play against each other in the Round of 16 and so, United will run into one of these teams : FC Porto, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Valencia and Celtic.

With Chelsea and Manchester City knocked out earlier, the Gunners and the Red Devils are the only teams from the English Premier League to remain in the fray. While City has been completely knocked out of Europe, Chelsea still has chances of making it to the Europa League.

When Sir Alex Ferguson was asked about his preferred opponent, “Real Madrid, AC Milan, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk… there are some tremendous, appetising games in there. We just have to accept what we get. We’re in there, that’s the important thing.”

The draw for the last 16 will be picked on December 20 and the first leg of this round begins by mid-February. United lost the last game of the group stage 1-0 at the hands of CFR Cluj.