Liverpool have been drawn against bitter rivals Manchester United in the last-16 of the UEFA Europa League.

The draw was made on Friday in Nyon and pits England's two most successful clubs against each other in European competition for the first time ever.

The Reds beat FC Augsburg 1-0 on aggregate in the previous round, after James Milner's early penalty put them in the driving seat in Thursday night's second-leg at Anfield.

United, meanwhile, dropped out of the UEFA Champions League after coming third in their group and despite losing 2-1 in the first-leg of their last-32 tie with FC Midtjylland, an emphatic 5-1 victory at home in the return leg was enough to reward them with a mouthwatering tie.

The two meet for a place in the quarter-finals next month, with the first fixture to be played at Anfield on Thursday 10 March and the return game at Old Trafford a week later on March 17th. 

United face West Ham in the quarters of the FA Cup in between the two legs, with the Reds afforded a welcome weekend off after being knocked out by the Hammers in the fourth round. 

Reds face old rivals in hugely-anticipated tie

Klopp and Van Gaal will lock horns once again next month as the two teams go head-to-head in Europe for the first time. (Picture: Getty Images)
Klopp and Van Gaal will lock horns once again next month as the two teams go head-to-head in Europe for the first time. (Picture: Getty Images)

Jürgen Klopp and co. will be hoping to use the two-legged affair to avenge their 1-0 defeat on Merseyside back in January, with Louis van Gaal having yet to lose against Liverpool as Manchester United manager - also winning 3-1 at Old Trafford back in September.

With both teams having aspirations of winning the competition in order to qualify for next season's Champions League, it's sure to be a finely-poised encounter - with top-four finishes looking unlikely for both United and Liverpool, who have suffered from inconsistency throughout the Premier League season. 

It is the first all-English meeting since 1973, when the tournament was branded the UEFA Cup, when Liverpool faced Tottenham Hotspur - with the Reds harbouring hopes of adding to the three trophies they have already won, in 1973, 1976 and 2001.

Elsewhere in what is a hugely intriguing draw overall, Tottenham travel to Borussia Dortmund, whilst Athletic Bilbao face Gary Neville's Valencia in an all-Spanish tie and Villarreal take on Bayer Leverkusen in another of the round's exciting affairs.

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.