MILAN VS MAN UTD LIGHTS UP EUROPA LEAGUE LAST 16 DRAW

LONDON: Seven-time European champions AC Milan have been drawn to play Manchester United in what is the standout tie in next month's Europa League round of 16. Ajax, the four-time European champions, will take on Swiss club Young Boys, while Arsenal face Olympiakos and Tottenham Hotspur, the third English club to reach the last 16, will tackle Zagreb.

Slavia Prague's reward for knocking out Leicester City is a two-legged tie against Scottish champions-elect Rangers. Euro-pean debutants Granada of Spain will face Norwegian club Molde while AS Roma face Shakhtar Donetsk. Three-time semi-finalists Villarreal take on Dynamo Kiev.

The ties will take place on March 11 and 18 with this sea-son's final taking place in Gdansk where the eventual win-ners will take a place in next sea-son's Champions League.

A clash between Milan and three-time European champions United will loom large over the last 16 for several reasons.

For Tottenham and Arsenal, the Europa League offers their most likely routes into the Champions League as they are ninth and llth respectively in the Premier League. Arsenal needed a late goal by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Thursday to see them past Benifica 4-3 on aggre-gate while Tottenham convi-vingly beat Austrian side Wolfs-berg.

NEUFC in isl play-offs

VASCO: NorthEast United FC sealed a play-off berth with a 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters in ISL. Needing a point to qualify for their second-ever playoffs, the Highlanders scored both their goals in the first half through Suhair Vadakkepeedika (34th) and Lalengmawia (45th). Khalid Jamil also made history by becoming the first Indian to coach to guide a side to the play-offs.