Manchester United has learned the name of the team it has to beat in order to return to the Champions League and it is a squad from Belgium called Club Brugge. They are two out of the 20 teams that will be participating in the UEFA Champions League playoffs.
The first legs will be played on August 18 and 19 while the second and decisive leg will be one week later on August 25 and 26. The ten teams that advance to the next round will be receiving 12 million euros from UEFA for being in the group stage and two-million for winning their playoff series.
With David Moyes as the manager for the Red Devils in 2013-2014, Manchester United could not qualify for the following year's Champions League. Then, Louis van Gaal came along and with the Dutch manager in charge, the team earned a spot in the playoffs, so now they will be facing Club Brugge in that stage.
Man United fans already reacted to the news
Manchester United fans after drawing Club Brugge in the Champion League. pic.twitter.com/XNv9u7h2gB
— Not Match of the Day (@NOT_MOTD) August 7, 2015
Among other games scheduled for this round are Celtic vs. Malmo, Basel vs. Maccabi Tel-Aviv, and debutant Astana vs. APOEL. One of the best teams in last year's UCL they will have to advance through the play-off round against Rapid Vienna, we are talking about Shakhtar Donetsk.
Lazio against Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting Lisbon against CSKA Moscow and Monaco versus Valencia were the other games that came out of the draw that took place in Nyon Switzerland. The teams that do not advance receive an automatic spot in the Europa League group stage and 3 million euros as a compensation.
Dates of Games
Lazio (ITA) v Bayer Leverkusen (GER) – 18 & 26 August
Manchester United (ENG) v Club Brugge (BEL) – 18 & 26 August
Sporting CP (POR) v CSKA Moskva (RUS) – 18 & 26 August
Rapid Wien (AUT) v Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) – 19 & 25 August
Valencia (ESP) v AS Monaco (FRA) – 19 & 25 August
Astana (KAZ) v APOEL (CYP) – 18 & 26 August
Skënderbeu (ALB) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) – 19 & 25 August
Celtic (SCO) v Malmö (SWE) – 19 & 25 August
FC Basel (SUI) v Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) – 19 & 25 August
BATE Borisov (BLR) v Partizan (SRB) – 18 & 26 August
