Europa League: Arsenal favourites as Man Utd prepare for Barca

• Arsenal favourites in outright winner market

• Man Utd underdogs against Barcelona

• Juventus, Ajax also in action next week

Arsenal are the favourites to win the Europa League ahead of the start of the competition's knockout stages next week.

The Premier League leaders are 5.04/1 in the outright winner market on the Betfair Exchange.

They are already through to the round of 16 knockout stage and will not be involved in next Thursday's play-off round.

This is a new round which UEFA has introduced and, on their website, this is how they describe it:

"There are now additional knockout round play-offs prior to the round of 16 between the eight UEFA Europa League group runners-up and the eight third-ranked teams from the UEFA Champions League groups."

It will be played across two legs on 16 and 23 February.

Barca odds-on to beat Man Utd

The headline tie in the play-off round is undoubtedly Barcelona v Manchester United which kicks off at 17:45 on Thursday 16 February.

United were runners-up in their Europa League group while Barca were knocked out of the Champions League.

United haven't beaten Barcelona since 2008 and, when the teams met last time in the 2018/19 Champions League quarter-finals, the Catalans won both legs and came out 4-0 on aggregate.

It should be an enthralling tie as both teams are in fine form, with United climbing to third in the Premier League and Barcelona eight points clear at the top of La Liga.

Xavi's men are 1.715/7 to win the first leg at Camp Nou with United 4.57/2 and the draw, which Erik ten Hag's men would absolutlely take, at 4.131/10.

Whichever side comes through this play-off is expected to challenge for Europa League glory with Barcelona 5.59/2 in the outright winner market and United 9.08/1.

Hard times for Juve and Ajax

Juventus and Ajax are the other giants of European football involved in next week's play-off round. Both finished third in their respective Champions League groups and have find life tough domestically this season.

Juve, who won nine consecutive Serie A titles from 2012 to 2020, are currently 10th in Italy's top flight. A big factor in that was the 15 point deduction imposed on the club after an investigation into its transfer dealings.

Juventus are 1.384/11 to win the first leg of their play-off against Nante next Thursday.

Ajax, meanwhile, are third in the Netherlands' Eredivisie and recently ended a run of six games without a win.

The Dutch giants face Union Berlin, who are challenging Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, in the play-offs.

Jose Mourinho's Roma, meanwhile, must go to Red Bull Salzburg for the first leg of their tie against the Austrians.

Mourinho has won this competition twice, most recently with Manchester United in 2017.

The remaining play-offs see 2020 winners Sevilla take on Ruud van Nistelrooy's PSV Eindhoven, Shakhtar Donetsk play Rennes and Sporting Lisbon face Midtjylland of Norway.

On 24 February, the day after the play-offs are completed, the draw for the round of 16 will take place and Arsenal, as well as the other seven teams that are already through, will discover their opponents.

Those ties will played across 9 and 16 March.

We'll have Europa League tips and previews on Betting.Betfair on the eve of each matchday.