Breaking: Arsenal set to face Sporting Lisbon in Europa League round of 16

Arsenal will face Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.

The Gunners booked their place in the knockouts of the Europa League after finishing first in their group. As a result, they did not have to participate in the playoff round like their domestic rivals Manchester United.

Arsenal were pitted against PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt and FC Zurich in the Group A of the competition. They topped the table with 15 points, having won five and lost one of their six games.

After the playoff round ended on Thursday, the draw for the Round of 16 took place today, February 24. Mikel Arteta's side have drawn Sporting Lisbon.

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The first leg of the tie is scheduled to take place on March 9. The return leg will be held the following week, on March 16. The north London giants will be determined to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Europa League with a win against Sporting Lisbon.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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Edited by Dakir Mohammed Thanveer