Rapid Vienna knocked Ajax out of the Champions League at the third-qualifying round stage on Tuesday night, and in doing so handed Manchester United a boost to their own European hopes.
The Austrian outfit won 3-2 at the Amsterdam ArenA to come out on top in a two-legged epic, triumphing with a 5-2 aggregate scoreline.
And that is good news for United, with Rapid’s win weakening the list of potential opponents they could be paired with in Friday’s play-off round draw.

Louis van Gaal will be pleased to see Sporting Lisbon removed as one of his potential draw options
The
Barclays Premier League club return to Europe’s premier competition
later this month and will be seeded in the ‘league route’ side of the
draw alongside Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen.
Barclays Premier League club return to Europe’s premier competition
later this month and will be seeded in the ‘league route’ side of the
draw alongside Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen.
Ajax
would have made it into the seeded pot too if they had gone through,
but Rapid’s lower UEFA co-efficient score means Sporting Lisbon will be
in the group of teams United cannot face instead. Rapid were considered
the weakest team left in this side of the draw.
would have made it into the seeded pot too if they had gone through,
but Rapid’s lower UEFA co-efficient score means Sporting Lisbon will be
in the group of teams United cannot face instead. Rapid were considered
the weakest team left in this side of the draw.