Paris (AFP)

A poster that smacks of the great European Cup: Zlatan Ibrahimovic's AC Milan will challenge the former club of the Swedish striker, Manchester United, in the round of 16 of the Europa League, according to the draw made on Friday by UEFA in Nyon (Switzerland).

The English club and the Lombard team will face each other on March 11 and 18, in what will be the great opposition of these knockout stages of C3, a shock that would not mismatch in the Champions League.

"Zlatan", 39, is having a great season with Milan, for whom he has already scored 14 goals in just 13 Serie A appearances. It will be a reunion for the Swedish striker, who passed through Manchester between 2016 and 2018, for two seasons marked by a serious injury to a knee but also a title in the Europa League 2017.

Also to be followed, his reunion with Edinson Cavani, his accomplice of the Paris SG attack before his departure from the capital in 2016. The Uruguayan and the Swede remain to this day the two top scorers in the history of Paris SG , with 200 and 156 goals respectively in the red and blue shirts.

- Arsenal in Greece, Tottenham in Croatia -

AC Milan, 2nd in the Italian Championship, qualified in pain against Red Star Belgrade on Thursday after two draws in the round of 16.

Ibrahimovic only played the second half in the second leg in Italy (1-1, 2-2 first leg).

Arsenal, qualified in extremis against Benfica thanks to a late goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (3-2) on Thursday, will challenge the Greeks of Olympiakos.

AS Roma, another big name aligned in this C3, will face the winner of the 2009 edition, the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, while Tottenham will play against Dinamo Zagreb.

Lille, the only French club to qualify for the finals, was eliminated by Ajax Amsterdam in the 16th after two 2-1 defeats.

The Dutch will face the Young Boys of Bern.

Finally, the surprise of the 16th, the Andalusian club of Granada, which eliminated Naples, benefited from a lenient draw against the Norwegians of Molde.

The 8th grade program, scheduled for Thursday March 11 (outward) and Thursday March 18 (return):

Ajax Amsterdam (NED) - Young Boys de Berne (SUI)

Dynamo Kiev (UKR) - Villarreal (ESP)

AS Rome (ITA) - Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

Olympiakos (GRE) - Arsenal (ENG)

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) - Tottenham (ENG)

Manchester United (ENG) - AC Milan (ITA)

Slavia Prague (CZE) - Rangers (SCO)

Granada (ESP) - Molde (NOR)

Editor's note: The order of Arsenal and Tottenham matches could be reversed, according to UEFA.

© 2021 AFP