If one were to take a look at the final sixteen teams remaining in this season's Europa League, one would notice one thing: less than half are so-called "big teams". Manchester United arguably is the biggest team featuring in European club football's second tier competition. The Red Devils should have no trouble doing away with Russian outfit Rostov, but they are playing the first leg away from home which could make things a bit more difficult for the English giants.
Other notable sides include Olympique Lyonnais and Roma, who will lock horns, and top marksmen Edin Dzeko and Alexandre Lacazette will hope to successfully lead the as well as Schalke and Borussia Moenchengladbach, who will feature in an all-Bundesliga derby. Ajax and Besiktas round out the teams that most fans will be familiar with.
The way the fixtures are set up means that several big sides will be bowing out at the end of the round of 16, which means that smaller and lesser known teams will have a chance to go pretty far. Here's a look at the first leg of the round of 16 ties, which will take place this Thursday. Which team(s) will head to the second leg with a solid advantage in hand?
UEFA Europa League round of 16 - U.S. viewing schedule
Below is the full U.S. schedule for the Europa League round of 16 first leg taking place on Thursday, March 9th:
Mar. 9: APOEL vs Anderlecht on WatchESPN, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, ESPN3 USA at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST
Mar. 9: København vs Ajax on Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Sports GO, fuboTV at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST
Mar. 9: Rostov vs Manchester United on WatchESPN, fuboTV, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 2 USA, ESPN Deportes+ USA, ESPN Deportes USA at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST
Mar. 9: Celta de Vigo vs Krasnodar on Fox Soccer 2GO USA at 12:05 PM PST/3:05 PM EST
Mar. 9: Gent vs Genk on Fox Soccer 2GO USA at 12:05 PM PST/3:05 PM EST
Mar. 9: Olympiakos Piraeus vs Beşiktaş on Fox Soccer 2GO USA, ESPN3 USA at 12:05 PM PST/3:05 PM EST
Mar. 9: Olympique Lyonnais vs Roma on WatchESPN, fuboTV, SiriusXM FC, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, ESPN Deportes USA, ESPN Deportes+ USA at 12:05 PM PST/3:05 PM EST
Mar. 9: Schalke 04 vs Borussia M'gladbach on Fox Soccer 2GO USA, ESPN3 USA, fuboTV, WatchESPN, Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports 2 USA at 12:05 PM PST/3:05 PM EST
