Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Midtjylland: Who are Manchester United's Europa League opponents?

Louis van Gaal's side have been drawn against Danish opposition after dropping into Europe's second-tier competition 

Simon Rice
Monday 14 December 2015 18:36 GMT
Comments
Midtjylland were drawn against Manchester United
Midtjylland were drawn against Manchester United

Having failed on their European mission to Wolfsburg, Manchester United were omitted from today's Champions League draw and denied the opportunity of facing one of Europe's glamour sides such as Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

Instead, they found themselves in the draw for the Round of 32 in the Europa League. And as if to compound the drop in stature that comes with falling into Europe's second tier competition, Louis van Gaal's side were paired with a side that many won't have heard of.

So here we provide the low down on Midtjylland, Manchester United's Europa League opponents.

WHO ARE THEY?

Midtjylland, formed in 1999, hail from Denmark where they won the Danish SuperLiga title last season. The club is situated in Herning, a city with a population of around 50,000. It's about a three hour drive from the capital, Copenhagen. They currently sit third in their domestic league.

HOW DID THEY QUALIFY?

As champions, Midtjylland went into the Champions League qualification process but were knocked out by Cypriot side APOEL at the Third qualifying round. That saw them move into the Europa League play-offs, where they were paired with Premier League side Southampton, who they beat 2-1 on aggregate. They then went into the proper tournament, finding themselves placed in Group D along with Napoli, Club Brugge and Legia Warsaw. They finished second behind Napoli despite winning just two of their six games.

WHO ARE THEIR BEST PLAYERS?

The club's two best known known current players are Finland's Tim Sparv, who came through Southampton's academy and ex-Hibernian defender Francis Dickoh. Other talented players in the side are winger Pione Sisto and forward Morten Rasmussen. Sparv in particular looks excited by the tie...

HAVE THEY EVER PLAYED ENGLISH SIDES?

As mentioned, Midtjylland have already beaten Southampton this season so should not be dismissed. Back in 2008 they took Manchester City to penalties (before losing) after their Uefa Cup tie finished level at 1-1 after two legs.

WILL THEY POSE A THREAT?

Some bookmakers are offering a return of just 1.06 on Manchester United progressing the the next phase of the tournament. A bet on Midtjylland could land an eight-fold return.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in