During Sir Alex Ferguson's esteemed tenure as Manchester United boss, the Red Devils almost exclusively competed in Europe's premier club competition.
Between 1996 and 2011, United played their continental football in the Champions League and Champions League only before a poor group stage campaign during the 2011/12 season saw them drop down into the depths of the Europa League.
The club's demise post-Fergie means that the Europa has emerged as United's best friend. They won the competition under Jose Mourinho in 2017 and have functioned as regulars over the past couple of years.
They've started their 2022/23 European campaign pretty well despite failing to win their group. United are safely into the knockout play-off round and here's how they could win the Europa League in 2023.
Man Utd route to the Europa League final
There was a sense of inevitability about the two biggest teams in the hat being drawn against each other.
Manchester United will take on Barcelona in next February's play-off as each side seeks to progress into the round of 16 of the Europa League. While United were pipped to the top of Group E by Real Sociedad, Barça again disappointed during the Champions League group stages and finished third behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the so-called 'Group of Death'.
It was a tough group, there's no doubt about that, but the Catalans' continental performance under promising coach Xavi Hernandez has certainly raised concerns. The Barcelona boss wasn't exactly thrilled with Monday's draw, but it's a brilliant opportunity for Ten Hag to pick up a statement European victory in the first season of his tenure.
Barcelona dominated proceedings the last time these two sides met over two legs in 2019, and next February's contest will be the first time they lock horns outside of the Champions League since 1991.
When is Barcelona vs Man Utd?
The first leg will take place at Camp Nou on 16 February 2023, with the reverse fixture just a week later on 23 February.
Man Utd potential knockout stage opponents
Should Ten Hag's men knock off Xavi's Catalans in next February's play-off, they will join the main body of the competition in the round of 16.
One of the eight group winners will be awaiting the Red Devils, who are ineligible to face Group A winners Arsenal, until the quarter-finals.
Thus, United could face a tricky group winner in the form of Real Betis, Union Saint-Gilloise, or Fenerbahce in the round of 16. Feyenoord, SC Freiburg, and Ferencvaros are the other three possibilities.
Several big teams will be competing in the Europa League's knockout phase next year, and United must be wary of some tougher draws further down the line. AS Roma, Juventus, Monaco, Ajax, Sporting, PSV, and Sevilla will all participate in the playoffs.
Where is the Europa League final?
The 2022/23 UEFA Europa League final will take place at Budapest's 65,000-capacity Puskas Arena on 31 May 2023.
The newly opened arena played host to the 2020 UEFA Super Cup and was one of the several stadiums used for Euro 2020 fixtures
Source : 90min