In the words of the legendary British punk rockers The Clash: “Spanish songs, in Granada”…..”Spanish songs in Andalucia.” Seriously though, Granada is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, with the Al-Hambra Palace one of the greatest and most astounding tourist attractions that one could ever possibly visit.
So these are things to think about as Manchester United embark on a business trip that will see them face Granada in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals. Take a look at the whole list of ties from the draw earlier today.
The road to Gda?sk is set! ?
Who's lifting the ??#UELdraw | #UEL pic.twitter.com/54x0ACdUXl
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 19, 2021
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL DRAWS
Granada vs. Manchester United
Arsenal vs. Slavia Prague
Ajax vs. Roma
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Villarreal
EUROPA LEAGUE SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE
Granada or Manchester United vs. Ajax or Roma
Dinamo Zagreb or Villarreal vs. Arsenal or Slavia Prague
The first legs of the quarterfinal will be played on April 8 with the reverse legs on April 15. The first semifinals will be on April 29, with second legs on May 6. Gdansk, Poland will host the Europa League final on May 26.
United won their first and only UEL title under Jose Mourinho in 2017. Typically, United are in Champions League, so they don’t play in this tournament very often, and when they do, they field teams comprised of reserves and don’t often advance this deep. They did make the semis last year though, where they got eliminated by Sevilla.
They have really struggled with opponents from Spain lately, so Granada might be a tough out.
Or perhaps their eliminating Real Sociedad in the round of 32 has now ended that recent hex against teams from Espana?
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.