Paris (AFP)

Lille, leader of the French championship, receives Ajax Amsterdam, leader of the Dutch championship, on Thursday in the round of 16 first leg of the Europa League, also marked by the poster between Manchester United and Real Sociedad, relocated to Italy for health reasons.

At the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille, facing the finalist of the 2017 edition, Christophe Galtier's Losc has great ambitions.

The Mastiffs hope in particular to take advantage of the blunder of Ajax leaders, who forgot to include on the lists of qualified players the Franco-Ivorian striker Sébastien Haller, rookie of the winter transfer window.

The northern club has never in its history gone beyond the 8th finals of the C3, reached four times (2002, 2005, 2006 and 2010).

Among the other posters of these round of 16 is an enticing duel between Manchester United, transferred from the Champions League, and Real Sociedad.

The match, scheduled behind closed doors, is relocated to Turin, Italy, due to travel restrictions in Spain linked to Covid-19.

Sacred for the first time in the Europa League in 2017, Mancuniens Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, left behind by their rivals City in the Premier League, do not intend to neglect this competition.

Another relocated match, in Rome this time: Arsenal, struggling in the Championship with a mediocre 10th place, are not necessarily favorites against Benfica Lisbon, himself dying and who sees the national title move away this season in favor of Sporting.

The goal of qualifying for the next Champions League, promised to the winner of the Europa League, could motivate the two teams.

On the side of the two other English clubs in the running, Tottenham travels to Budapest (Hungary) to face the Austrian club Wolfsberg while Leicester, 3rd in the Premier League, goes to Prague to challenge Slavia.

In a duel between former C1 winners, AC Milan travels to Serbia to meet the Red Star of Belgrade.

Semi-finalists last year, the Ukrainians of Shakhtar Donetsk will go to Israel to challenge Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Currently 3rd in Serie A, AS Roma, who have never won a European Cup, will be suspicious before their match at Sporting Braga, just like Napoli who will challenge Granada.

Schedule for the round of 16 first leg of the Europa League (in French hours):

Thursday:

(4 p.m.) Dynamo Kiev (UKR) - Club Bruges (BEL)

(6:55 p.m.) Wolfsberg (AUT) - Tottenham (ENG)

Real Sociedad (ESP) - Manchester United (ENG)

Red Star Belgrade (SRB) - AC Milan (ITA)

Slavia Prague (CZE) - Leicester (ENG)

Sporting Braga (POR) - AS Rome (ITA)

Krasnodar (RUS) - Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Young Boys (SUI) - Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

Olympiakos (GRE) - PSV Eindhoven (NED)

(9 p.m.) Benfica (POR) - Arsenal (ENG)

Antwerp (BEL) - Glasgow Rangers (SCO)

RB Salzburg (AUT) - Villarreal (ESP)

Molde (NOR) - Hoffenheim (GER)

Granada (ESP) - Naples (ITA)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) - Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

Lille (FRA) - Ajax Amsterdam (NED)

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