Senior Chelsea players have pointed to "the worst pre-season they've had" as a possible reason for their poor form, according to head coach Graham Potter.
The Blues make the short trip to Tottenham on the back of a four-game winless streak in the Premier League, including a home loss to rock-bottom Southampton last week.
For Potter, who succeeded Thomas Tuchel in September, the pressure has continued to build as his side have slipped further down the table.
Ahead of another difficult encounter for his misfiring team, he acknowledged there were no easy answers and discussed conversations he held with some of his players about their preparation for the season before he arrived from Brighton and Hove Albion.
The club visited the United States for three games in July, before playing Serie A side Udinese twice in Italy ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
"It is really tough," he said. "A few weeks ago, [I said] it is the toughest job of football, and there are reasons for that.
"Speaking to a few of the experienced guys, they said it was the worst pre-season they've had. Organisationally, the tour didn't work as well as they'd like. I wasn't there so I can't say.
"We thought we had made progress, but against Southampton, [it] was below par. The sky can fall. These are inconvenient facts, but that's the situation."
Potter insisted he still has the full backing of owner Todd Boehly and the Chelsea board, and added that he expects and deserves to be under the microscope.
"With results as they are, you accept criticism," he said. "That should come, that is fair. [But] the mood here has always been positive and respectful.
"That is not to say it is easy at all. My family suffers, my mental health suffers. Personally, it is hard. I've been under pressure here for four months."
Captain Cesar Azpilicueta was taken to hospital during the defeat to Southampton after he suffered a concussion, and will not be available for the Spurs clash.
Potter was pleased with his improvement though, adding: "He is as OK as you can be when you've had that. He won't be ready for the weekend, but he's doing well."
Ireland centre Garry Ringrose has been ruled out of their Six Nations trip to Italy after failing to overcome a calf injury in time.
Ringrose suffered the problem during their week two victory over holders France but was named in the starting XV for Saturday's game at Stadio Olimpico.
He has failed to overcome the issue however and has now been withdrawn, with Stuart McCloskey now in line to start and utility back Jimmy O'Brien elevated to the bench.
Andy Farrell will hope Ringrose recovers in time to take part in their final two games next month, against Scotland and England.
Ringrose had been in line to win his 50th cap for Ireland in this weekend's fixture and was looking to score on his third consecutive visit to Rome.
The centre has been a standout performer for Ireland in the Six Nations too, beating more defenders than any of his team-mates in the tournament so far, on eight occasions.
Pep Guardiola has dismissed criticism of Erling Haaland, insisting it is the team's fault when the striker struggles to influence a game.
Having struck an incredible 32 goals in 32 games this season for Manchester City, Haaland failed to score in draws against Nottingham Forest and RB Leipzig over the last week, having just 22 touches in the Champions League last-16 first leg in Germany, the lowest amount of any player for either side who completed 90 minutes.
Speaking ahead of City's Premier League trip to Bournemouth, Guardiola said it was up to the rest of the team to find their star forward.
"That is our fault, Erling has been impressive for us all season," he told reporters.
"I don't need numbers or metrics, I know immediately after the game who has been involved and who has not.
"Yes, of course, it depends on us. We need to look for him a little more."
The City boss was unsure about the fitness of trio Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne, though while the latter could potentially be fit for Saturday's game on the south coast, the two defenders remain more unlikely to feature.
Guardiola also explained his decision not to make any substitutions during Wednesday's 1-1 draw in Leipzig, suggesting he had considered it at one point only for Josko Gvardiol's equaliser to alter his thinking.
It meant that City became the first team to make no substitutions in a Champions League game since Manchester United in October 2018 against Juventus.
"I'm not concerned [about squad depth], Kevin was not there, Aymeric, John," Guardiola added.
"The second half I wanted to make a change, maybe Phil [Foden] or Julian [Alvarez] in a position close to Erling to be more aggressive, but after we conceded the goal we were good.
"When the situation is going more or less well I don't like to change things around normally, when I don't like what I see I will but I don't like to move things around [for the sake of it]."
City are two points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race, having played a game more, and just three ahead of United.
Guardiola, a four-time Premier League winner, took the opportunity to offer a reminder that he was told English football would be more competitive than his previous jobs at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
"People told me when I arrived that the UK is different to Spain and Germany," he said. "Fortunately [for me], for most years it was only a two-horse [title] race.
"Now, finally, there is more."
Erik ten Hag warned his Manchester United team not to be "distracted" by their "annoying" EFL Cup final opponents Newcastle United.
United face Newcastle in Sunday's Wembley showpiece, bidding for the first major silverware of the English season.
But Ten Hag is not expecting a free-flowing encounter, having noted Newcastle's gamesmanship during the campaign.
"I think it's a great team," Ten Hag said of Newcastle, who held United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League in October.
"It's a clear philosophy about how they play the game. The key word is 'intensity'. They do really well. They're an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to win."
Asked if he had meant to describe Newcastle as "annoying", Ten Hag confirmed and replied: "They try to annoy you. So, we have to make sure we play our game and focus on our game."
Pressed further on the matter, Ten Hag highlighted Newcastle's perceived time-wasting.
It was the subject of some contention when the Magpies lost at Liverpool early in the season – one of only two Premier League defeats for Eddie Howe's side.
According to Opta data, only Leeds United matches have seen less time with the ball in play than those involving Newcastle. However, Aston Villa lead the way for yellow cards for time-wasting, with 11 to Newcastle's five (Fulham have six).
"They are quite successful with it," Ten Hag said. "It's up to us that there's speed in the game, but we are also dependent on the refereeing as well."
At Anfield, Nick Pope was the subject of some criticism for his role in these tactics, but he will miss Sunday's match through suspension, meaning Loris Karius is in line for a Newcastle debut in their biggest match of the season.
"It's an issue for them that they have to sort. Of course we know it," Ten Hag said. "It's definitely not an advantage.
"We can't influence it; the one who is holding [the gloves] can influence it. We have to test him, it's quite obvious."
Asked if Pope's absence would impact Newcastle's gamesmanship, Ten Hag replied: "I don't know the instructions of the opponents. I cannot influence that.
"We have to make it our game, so focus on the job we have to do, focus on football when the ball is in the game. It's about that, being fully concentrated on that and don't get distracted by whatever is on the pitch.
"We have to focus on the job, find our way and find the moments when we can strike."
Diego Simeone believes Vinicius Junior has made "enormous" strides, as the Real Madrid star looks to inflict more derby misery on Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Vinicius scored twice as Madrid thrashed Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Anfield on Tuesday, taking him to 18 goals for the season.
The Brazilian has saved some of his best performances for meetings with Simeone's Atleti, scoring in January's extra-time Copa del Rey win and starring in a 2-1 away triumph in the teams' last league clash in September.
Speaking at a press conference to preview Saturday's trip to the Santiago Bernabeu, Simeone was full of praise for the in-form winger.
"I think his growth has been enormous," Simeone said of Vinicius on Friday.
"It was a great bet that Real Madrid had on him, he improved all of his numbers year after year, and he's in a great moment as a player."
Saturday's game will see Simeone claim the outright record for the most matches as coach of one club in LaLiga history, as he oversees Atleti for the 425th time in the league.
Meanwhile, Simeone's 612th game with Atleti will see him draw level with Luis Aragones as the coach to have led them in the most competitive fixtures.
The Argentine puts his longevity down to the application of those who have played under him, saying: "Above all, I am lucky, and I have to be grateful to the club and to all those who played for the team.
"Without all these situations, both for the club and for the players, it would be impossible to meet these numbers; they made me able to express myself.
"The numbers are accompanied by the results. I'm grateful to all the players who went through the team. I am in the place I want to be, and I am still very excited."
While Atleti's six-game unbeaten run in LaLiga is their longest of the season, they sit 10 points behind second-placed Madrid in the table and look destined to endure a trophyless campaign.
Simeone, however, is adamant they have much to play for, adding: "There are seasons where we can compete to win something and others when it seems far away.
"It is not less important, what we have left. Every match where you put on the Rojiblanco shirt, you have to be excited."
Jurgen Klopp knows Liverpool have work to do in the transfer market, having foreseen their difficult season, but felt powerless to prevent it.
Having come so close to winning an unprecedented quadruple last year, claiming two cups and finishing as runners-up in both the Premier League and the Champions League, this campaign has been very different for Liverpool.
The Reds are down in eighth in the league, out of both domestic cups and on the brink of exiting Europe having lost 5-2 at home to Real Madrid on Tuesday.
It is anticipated the Merseyside club will be busy in the market at the end of the season, with Jude Bellingham reportedly a top target, and Klopp did not deny that as he detailed the ways in which his team must improve.
"I don't say everything around us is bad, is wrong, not at all, but most of the things are not right as well," he said. "That's how it is.
"We know we have to improve. We know we have to change things. We will. We have to do something in the summer, that's clear. For now, we just have to go through this and fight back."
Klopp was later quizzed on his mention of the need to "do something in the summer" and launched into a long answer explaining why this season has been so difficult for Liverpool, how they must work ahead of the transfer window and their plan to first "make the best out of this season".
Confirming the intention to do business in the window pre-dated this difficult stretch, Klopp said: "We are not that dumb that, 'today wasn't good, now we have to change'. It was clear, it was always clear.
"This team has a wonderful history, but the way this club is led is not by splashing the money or whatever, have a look if it works out or not. Our transfers always have to be on point.
"That makes it really tricky. We cannot make four transfers before we know who leaves the club, stuff like this.
"Last year, I knew it would be tricky. That was one of the main reasons why I signed a new contract, so people are not on top of all that and have to discuss 'then he leaves next year'.
"It's not because I'm that great – it would be the same situation with another coach, then it's 'bring Klopp back'. It's about the club and the stability.
"Last year was not the season for a big change. We played until the last moment, and if you want to change at this club, we cannot bring in players and then realise nobody wants to leave. It doesn't work like that.
"It was not possible to start it early, because we had final after final after final, played until the last moment of the Champions League final. Then we have a short break, then we have injuries, then the World Cup.
"So, with all the problems we knew we would have, this came on top.
"Now we are in it. I know it's too long, for me it's too long, because I have to face this press conference. Believe me, I don't like to talk about it all the time. I have to think it all the time – that's not as bad as to talk about it, to be honest, because I don't have to read it the next day.
"That's the situation. Now people are not happy. We try to fight through and make the best out of this season, that's the idea, and staying as good a person as you can.
"The better you behave in a moment like this, the better times will be after it and the more useful the bad times are.
"They have to be useful, because otherwise they are useless. Imagine that in all our lives if we had not learned from our failures or learned from when things didn't go well. We would not be the same people. We have to learn from this well, and we will.
"Now we are in this heated atmosphere, where we lose a game and it's 'everybody out', we win a game, 'give him a new contract'. I'm too old for that.
"We have to make our own plans, and that's what we do – but based on the way this club needs it. It's different to other clubs. That's how it is.
"It worked out so far, and we'll have to see if it will work still or we'll have to adapt. That's something for us in the offices, when we're not on the training pitch, and for my conversation with the owners."
Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid's goal remains to win every trophy possible this season, despite sitting eight points behind Barcelona in LaLiga.
Madrid have already won the Club World Cup, have qualified for the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey and are well on their way to the last eight of the Champions League after their 5-2 first leg win at Liverpool in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
However, they have dropped points in five of their last 11 league games to fall well behind Barca in the title race, also losing to the Blaugrana in the Supercopa de Espana final.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's derby against Atletico Madrid, head coach Ancelotti recognised things could be better, but he is confident of pushing Madrid's Clasico rivals all the way in the remaining 16 league games.
"We're going to try to win every competition. We're second in the league, so that won't be easy," he said, later adding: "No, I am not happy with the season [so far].
"I would rather be eight points clear and have won the Supercopa de Espana, and a 5-0 result at Anfield would have been better than 5-2, but still, we're doing very well... Hopefully we can recover those lost points [in the league]."
Vinicius Junior was again key at Anfield in midweek, scoring twice, and Ancelotti spoke highly of the in-form Brazilian.
"He works hard, looks after himself, and it is so important that he can keep playing at this level and avoid injuries," he said.
"What Vinicius shows on the field is what he always tries in training. He has improved a lot in his finishing because he has trained a lot. After training, Vinicius spends 10 to 15 minutes to improve his shooting.
"The challenge ahead is continuity. Trying for 90 minutes, that's what's difficult."
Ancelotti revealed that midfield pair Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos will be available again after illness, while he also confirmed Nacho will start at left-back against Atletico amid uncertainty around his long-term future at the club.
"I see Nacho every day and there has been a time when he was not happy," he said. "He has not complained to me, and he has continued to suffer the period that he has not played. He has been a professional, and at the moment I always needed him, he has complied.
"I have a weakness which is that [I have to make sure] Madrid is happy... and that only happens if we win. I feel sorry for my players because I am very fond of them. I just want Real Madrid to be satisfied."
Erik ten Hag was unsure on Friday if Marcus Rashford would be fit to feature in the EFL Cup final for Manchester United.
Rashford, the form man both for United and among players across Europe, was substituted with two minutes remaining of Thursday's 2-1 Europa League win over Barcelona.
The England forward had stayed down for a period after tangling with Ronald Araujo and did not move easily when he returned to his feet.
United play Newcastle United at Wembley on Sunday, but Ten Hag will have to wait to see if he will be able to call on Rashford, who has scored 16 goals since the World Cup break.
"I don't know. The players are now coming in," Ten Hag said. "We have to check the medicals – of course yesterday we did.
"So straight after the game, you can't say. We have to wait for 100 per cent diagnosis."
Ten Hag, who definitively ruled Anthony Martial out of the final, is relishing the opportunity to win his first trophy as United manager.
"It's a great opportunity to get silverware in," he said. "It's about glory and honour in football.
"We deserved to play the final, and now we have a great opportunity to win the cup. We have to put everything in to take that cup to Manchester."
Indeed, despite leading United to third in the Premier League, the last 16 in the Europa League and FA Cup, and the EFL Cup final, Ten Hag does not yet see this as a successful season.
"I see it so far not as a success. It's more the road to hopefully success," he said.
"It's only success when you win trophies, but on Sunday we have an opportunity to get success."
Ireland will be expected to stay in the hunt for a Grand Slam when they resume the Six Nations against Italy while Scotland's title credentials will face a stern test in Paris.
Andy Farrell's Ireland side showed why they are the top-ranked team in the world by halting France's long winning streak with a 32-19 victory at the Aviva Stadium before the break.
The leaders ought to make it three wins out of three at the expense of Italy at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday before third-placed England take on wounded Wales at the Principality Stadium.
Scotland followed up their win over England by hammering Wales and will be braced for a response from defending champions France in what should be an entertaining contest at Stade de France on Sunday.
Stats Perform previews the three tussles with the help of some standout Opta data.
ITALY v IRELAND
FORM
The Ireland juggernaut will take some stopping, with their winning run now at seven matches.
They have come out on top in 19 of their past 21 Tests, losing only to France and New Zealand last year in that period. Farrell's ruthless men have averaged 4.4 tries per game in those 21 matches.
In his 32 Tests in charge, Farrell has a 78 per cent win rate – the best of any Ireland head coach to have been at the helm for two or more games.
Italy have lost each of their 23 home games in the Six Nations since beating Ireland in Rome in 2013. After almost pulling off a shock against France in the opening round, they suffered a 31-14 loss to England last time out.
ONES TO WATCH
Italy powerhouse Sebastian Negri has made 30 carries in the Six Nations this year, the joint-most along with Scotland playmaker Finn Russell. He must play a big part if the Azzurri are to trouble Ireland.
Garry Ringrose will win his 50th cap for Ireland. On the six occasions the centre has faced Italy, he has scored three tries – two of those coming in his past two trips to Rome.
Ringrose has been more defenders than any other Ireland player in the tournament so far, doing so eight times.
WALES v ENGLAND
FORM
The start of Warren Gatland's second spell as Wales head coach has not gone to plan, losing twice and having to contend with a dispute over contracts that resulted in the threat of strike action from players this weekend.
Gatland has made nine changes after it was confirmed the game will go ahead in Cardiff, where Wales will attempt to avoid starting the tournament with three straight defeats for only the third time – having previously done so in 2003 and 2007.
England got their first win under head coach Steve Borthwick against Italy and will be looking to avoid a third successive away loss to Wales.
The Red Rose have won seven of their last nine meetings with Wales, though, with the previous six of those coming by a margin of no more than six points.
ONES TO WATCH
Gatland has dropped big names such as Dan Biggar, Liam Williams and George North after the heavy loss to Scotland.
Josh Adams is among the players who have retained his place, though, and the wing could help to lift the gloom. The flyer and Ken Owens have made four dominant tackles apiece in the tournament, with only seven players have produced that many.
Alex Dombrandt will start at number eight once again for England, having made more effective contributions at defensive rucks than any other player in the Six Nations with seven.
He has won two jackal turnovers and slowed down a further five rucks, so he can make his presence felt again.
FRANCE v SCOTLAND
FORM
Scotland put on another show to see off Wales, turning on the style at a raucous Murrayfield after winning a thriller against England.
They won on their most recent visit to the French capital, defeating Les Bleus 27-23 in 2021. Scotland have not won back-to-back games in Paris since 1967-1969.
France have won 18 of their past 19 Test matches on home soil, including nine in a row. Their only loss during that time was that one at the hands of Scotland.
A victory this weekend would give them a 10th straight home win for the first time since 1986-1989.
ONES TO WATCH
Damian Penaud finished superbly to score for France in their loss to Ireland.
The wing has beaten 15 defenders in his two appearances in this tournament and another livewire display could be on the cards.
Russell produced a masterclass against Wales and Scotland will need him to pull the strings once again.
The fly-half has made three line-break assists and also laid on three tries in the tournament so far and there should be more to come.
Warren Gatland is keen to "draw a line in the sand" ahead of Wales' Six Nations clash with England, saying the threat of strike action had taken the team "to the brink of disaster" this week.
Saturday's fixture at the Principality Stadium was in serious doubt as Wales players considered making themselves unavailable amid a dispute with the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) and Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).
On Wednesday, however, PRB chair Malcolm Wall confirmed an agreement had been reached with the Welsh Rugby Players' Association on several key issues, including wages and changes to the 60-cap rule that governed international selection.
Wales coach Gatland was forced to delay naming his team due to the uncertainty, and he says the effects of Saturday's game not taking place would have been dire.
"Looking back now, few people realise just how close we came to the brink of disaster," Gatland wrote in a column for The Telegraph. "What took me by absolute surprise was the level of frustration and anger that boiled over from the players on Monday morning.
"Learning the extent of their frustration was one of the hardest things I had to deal with. I have always prided myself on putting the demands of the players first.
"I was caught in the middle. You want to support the players as much as possible, but you've got to be very careful about how much of the line you cross from that perspective.
"I'm not sure that they had thought about the potential consequences or the long-term effects of the game not going ahead. It would have had such an impact on all rugby in Wales, and potentially led to one or two of the regions going under.
"What hurt me most was hearing a couple of emotive comments from players, second hand, that I didn't care about them. That was the hardest thing because I have always been about putting the players first and looking after them. I just think it was the emotions of the time."
Gatland was eventually able to name his team on Thursday, as Wales look to respond to defeats against Ireland and Scotland in their first two Six Nations contests.
While the 59-year-old is acutely aware of the impact this week's events have had on Wales' preparations, the team are now keen to move on.
"I am pretty sure I would have easily got a team if I had walked up St Mary Street and asked who was up for beating England. But thankfully we never got that far," Gatland said.
"On Thursday morning I finally named the team. I said it had been a challenging week and we needed to draw a line in the sand and focus entirely on playing against England.
"In fairness to the boys, given what has been going on, they have trained hard and been good in the sessions. It has probably been a welcome distraction to them and I have to take my hat off to them.
"The difficult thing to assess is what impact the mental stress of this week has had on the players. One thing I can promise the Welsh supporters is that the players know how much it means to you. Armageddon or not."
Wales captain Ken Owens said the ordeal had made Welsh rugby "a laughing stock" as he urged the players to pull together in order to get a much-needed result in Cardiff.
Liverpool's Champions League collapse against Real Madrid was evidence to Jurgen Klopp his side are "not stable yet", even if back-to-back Premier League victories had hinted at a revival.
Klopp's men beat neighbours Everton and then fellow top-four hopefuls Newcastle United before hosting Madrid in the first leg of a last-16 tie.
But the defensive frailties that had been clear even in a 2-0 win at St James' Park – where Newcastle's 10 men generate more shots, expected goals and touches in the opposition box – came back to bite against Madrid.
After taking an early 2-0 lead, as Liverpool had at Newcastle, they lost 5-2 to all but end their hopes of a seventh European title.
Klopp acknowledged the focus must now shift to Champions League qualification through the league, but he is not ready to write off his team.
"What I saw in this game was a lot of things are back but not stable yet," he said, adding: "We have to work on that stability.
"The good things are really good and will be good forever, but we have to make sure we don't suffer from the few things that aren't working very well."
Consistency will be required if Liverpool are to close the seven-point gap to fourth-placed Tottenham, even with two games in hand.
"We cannot always go like this through a season," Klopp said ahead of playing Crystal Palace on Saturday. "We have to find some consistency in the way we play.
"Emotions are very important, but it cannot all be about emotions. 'Today I feel great, tomorrow not so well', stuff like this.
"We just have to start believing 100 per cent in ourselves again and bring our quality on the pitch."
But Klopp accepted it was to be accepted Liverpool would struggle to rediscover their best level after a difficult run, comparing their form to an accident with his car.
"Everything that happens in life has influence on confidence," Klopp said. "Recently, I scratched my car.
"Since then, I drive around corners like this [carefully]. For 37 years, I had a license, I think, and I never really had an accident, but everything has influence on confidence.
"After a few miles, you realise, 'oh, it was just unlucky', so I can just drive normal again."
One thing that has been consistent in recent seasons is Liverpool's record against Palace.
Following a 1-1 draw at Anfield in the reverse fixture, Palace are looking to avoid defeat in both Premier League meetings with Liverpool for the first time since 2014-15.
France head coach Fabien Galthie has selected Mohamed Haouas as the replacement for the suspended Uini Atonio for France's Six Nations clash with Scotland.
Atonio was handed a three-week ban for a high tackle on Ireland's Rob Herring, with Haouas coming in at tighthead despite not featuring in France's first two games.
That is the only change made by Galthie from the 32-19 defeat in Dublin on February 11.
Captain Antoine Dupont will play alongside Romain Ntamack in the half-backs, while Yoram Moefana and Gael Fickou remain as the centre pairing.
France have won 18 of their last 19 Test matches on home soil, including their last nine in a row, with their only defeat in that spell coming against Scotland in 2021. They will be aiming to win 10 straight home games for the first time since 1986-1989.
Scotland are looking to make it three wins from three after victories over England and Wales, and coach Gregor Townsend has also made just the one alteration to his side from last time out.
The 2021 Six Nations Player of the Championship Hamish Watson comes in to replace Luke Crosbie after recovering from a head injury sustained against New Zealand in December.
Crosbie and Chris Harris are not even named on the bench, with Sam Skinner coming in, while Ali Price is also back and among the replacements.
Stuart Hogg went off with a head injury in Scotland's defeat of Wales in round two, but has been passed fit to start.
France XV: Thomas Ramos, Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Yoram Moefana, Ethan Dumortier, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (c); Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Mohamed Haouas, Thibaud Flament, Paul Willemse, Anthony Jelonch, Charles Ollivon, Gregory Alldritt.
Replacements: Gaetan Barlot, Reda Wardi, Sipili Falatea, Romain Taofifenua, Francois Cros, Sekou Macalou, Baptiste Couilloud, Matthieu Jalibert.
Scotland XV: Stuart Hogg, Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie (c), Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, WP Nel, Jonny Gray, Sam Skinner, Jack Dempsey, Ali Price, Blair Kinghorn.
Manchester United have been drawn to face Real Betis in the Europa League's round of 16, while Arsenal will battle Sporting CP for a quarter-final spot.
United came from behind to clinch a 2-1 victory over Barcelona at Old Trafford on Thursday, and their reward for a 4-3 aggregate triumph over the Blaugrana is a tie against another Spanish opponent.
Having not lifted any silverware since winning this competition in 2017, United are in the hunt for four trophies this term, though Erik ten Hag's men will be tested by a side sat fifth in LaLiga.
Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini has faced United on four previous occasions in European competitions, with all four games finishing goalless during his time with Villarreal (in the 2005-06 and 2008-09 Champions League group stages).
Premier League leaders Arsenal will face Sporting after Ruben Amorim's team thrashed Midtjylland 5-1 on aggregate in the knockout round play-offs.
Sporting have progressed from each of their previous six ties against English teams in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup/Europa League, with all six coming against different teams.
The other standout last-16 ties see Juventus meet Freiburg, while Jose Mourinho's Roma will take on Real Sociedad as they bid to follow up last season's inaugural Europa Conference League triumph.
Feyenoord, who Roma beat in the final of that competition, have been paired with Shakhtar Donetsk, while surprise Bundesliga challengers Union Berlin will face Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise.
Six-time winners Sevilla – the most successful club in UEFA Cup/Europa League history – will face Fenerbahce, while Bayer Leverkusen will take on Ferencvaros.
The first legs of the last-16 ties will take place on March 9, with the group-stage winners hosting the return fixtures one week later.
Europa League last-16 draw in full
Bayer Leverkusen v Ferencvaros
Juventus v Freiburg
Manchester United v Real Betis
Roma v Real Sociedad
Sevilla v Fenerbahce
Shakhtar Donetsk v Feyenoord
Sporting CP v Arsenal
Union Berlin v Union Saint-Gilloise
Miguel Almiron has signed a new contract at Newcastle United and hopes to have further cause to celebrate after the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
Almiron joined Newcastle from Atlanta United in January 2019, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal that was to expire at the end of next season.
Signed by Rafael Benitez, who soon left the club, Almiron initially struggled to replicate the form that had made him such a star in MLS.
His first Premier League goal did not come until December 2019, and he had netted only nine times in the competition heading into this campaign.
But Almiron has been a key man in an impressive Newcastle team under Eddie Howe, and is their top scorer with 10 goals in the league.
He has earned a three-and-a-half-year contract that will add two years to his previous agreement and keep him on Tyneside until 2026.
Newcastle are fifth in the Premier League, with a game in hand over fourth-placed Tottenham, and will face Manchester United in a Wembley final this weekend.
For Almiron, apart from the extension, playing a role in the club's first domestic cup win in 68 years would be reward for years of toil.
"The truth is that I've worked really hard since I came to Newcastle to improve my level and to be where I am at the moment," he said upon signing his contract.
"I also thank the staff and my team-mates, who have helped me a lot during these four years. I think this is a reward for that hard work, and I am very happy.
"On Sunday, we have a very important match, and while the new contract makes me really happy, the most important thing is that we celebrate this contract with a victory on Sunday."
Almiron is yet to score in the EFL Cup this season but provided assists in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
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