Man United faces Ajax while City plays Porto

Neither Manchester United nor Manchester City were too pleased at the prospect of competing in the Europa League in the New Year, but both were handed mouthwatering ties when the last 32 draw was made on Friday in Switzerland.

Competing in the Europa League for the first time, United will face Dutch giants Ajax who, like the Premier League title-holders, were also eliminated from the Champions League in the group phase.

Surprisingly for two clubs with a rich European tradition, this will be their first meeting since season 1976/77, when United won 2-1 on aggregate in a Uefa Cup tie.

"Ajax are a good team and I've never faced them in competitive European football," United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told manutd.com. "I'm looking forward to it."

United go to Amsterdam for the first-leg on February 16 before hosting the return a week later, and the prospect of a tie with either Lokomotiv Moscow or Spanish side Athletic Bilbao awaits in the last 16.

Meanwhile, Manchester City will also meet a club who dropped out of the Champions League, with last season's Europa League winners Porto about as tough as it could have got for Roberto Mancini's men.

"It's amazing, we've gone from the hardest group in the Champions League to getting the holders of the Europa League," said City's football administration officer Brian Marwood after the draw.

"It's a big game and we'll be looking forward to it and taking it seriously.

"One thing we haven't had to endure is going through the early rounds where you play a lot of games. Porto are attractive opposition and the current champions. They are games we are looking forward to and are excited about."

If City win, they could face Portuguese opposition in the last 16 in the shape of Sporting Lisbon.

Sporting meet Legia Warsaw of Poland in the last 32.

Elsewhere, Stoke City's reward for being the only British club to progress from the competition's group stages was a tie with Spanish side Valencia, another Champions League dropout and winners of the Europa League's predecessor the Uefa Cup in 2004.

If the Potters win that then they will face either Trabzonspor, yet another Champions League dropout, or Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.

In other ties, Belgian league leaders Anderlecht – the one club to boast a perfect record in the group stages – will face Dutch league leaders AZ Alkmaar.

Rubin Kazan of Russia, who progressed from their group at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur, will face Greek side Olympiakos, who drop down from the Champions League, while Celtic's conquerors Udinese also face Greek opposition in the shape of PAOK Salonika.

Atletico Madrid – winners of the inaugural Europa League in 2010 – will take on Serie A side Lazio in a repeat of the clubs' Uefa Cup semifinal match-up in 1998.

LAST 32 DRAW

FC Porto v Manchester City
Ajax Amsterdam v Manchester United
Lokomotiv Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
FC Salzburg v Metalist Kharkiv
Stoke City v Valencia
Rubin Kazan v Olympiacos
AZ Alkmaar v Anderlecht
Lazio v Atletico Madrid
Steaua Bucuresti v FC Twente
Viktoria Plzen v Schalke
Wisla Krakow v Standard Liege
SC Braga v Besiktas
Udinese v PAOK
Trabzonspor v PSV Eindhoven
Hannover 96 v Brugge
Legia Warszawa v Sporting Club

LAST 16 DRAW

FC Salzburg/Metalist Kharkiv v Rubin Kazan v Olympiacos
Legia Warszawa/Sporting Club v FC Porto/Manchester City
Steaua Bucuresti/FC Twente v Viktoria Plzen/Schalke
AZ Alkmaar/Anderlecht v Udinese/PAOK
Stoke City/Valencia v Trabzonspor/PSV Eindhoven
Ajax Amsterdam/Manchester United v Lokomotiv Moscow/Athletic Bilbao
Steaua Bucuresti /FC Twente v Viktoria Plzen/Schalke
Wisla Krakow/Standard Liege v Hannover 96/Brugge

LAST 32 SCHEDULE

The schedule for the last 32 of the Europa Cup following Friday's draw here:

First leg (Times are GMT)

February 16

(17h00) Rubin Kazan (RUS) - Olympiakos (GRE)
Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) - Athletic Bilbao (ESP)
(17h30) Braga (POR) - Besiktas (TUR)
(18h00) Ajax (NED) - Manchester United (ENG)
Salzburg (AUT) - Metalist Kharkov (UKR)
AZ Alkmaar (NED) - Anderlecht (BEL)
Lazio (ITA) - Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Viktoria Plzen (CZE) - Schalke 04 (GER)
Legia Warsaw (POL) - Sporting Lisbon (POR)
(20h05) Porto (POR) - Manchester City (ENG)
Stoke City (ENG) - Valencia (ESP)
Steaua Bucarest (ROM) - Twente (NED)
Wisla Krakow - Standard Liège (BEL)
Udinese (ITA) - PAOK Salonika (GRE)
Trabzonspor (TUR) - PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Hanover (GER)- Bruges (BEL)

Second leg

(17h00) Manchester City (ENG) - Porto (POR)
(18h00) Athletic Bilbao (ESP) - Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS)
Valencia (ESP) - Stoke City (ENG)
Twente (NED) - Steaua Bucarest (ROM)
Standard Liège (BEL) - Wisla Krakow (POL)
PAOK Salonika (GRE) - Udinese (ITA)
PSV Eindhoven (NED) - Trabzonspor (TUR)
Bruges (BEL)- Hanover (GER)
(20h05) Manchester United (ENG) - Ajax (NED)
Metalist Kharkov (UKR) - Salzburg (AUT)
Olympiakos (GRE) - Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Anderlecht (BEL) - AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) - Lazio (ITA)
Schalke 04 (GER) - Viktoria Plzen (CZE)
Besiktas (TUR) - Braga (POR)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) - Legia Warsaw (POL)