Europa League 2017 Draw: Quarter-Final Fixture Schedule and Dates Released

Manchester United will face Anderlecht in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League following Friday's draw in Nyon, Switzerland.

The Red Devils are strong favourites to go all the way in the tournament—especially after Olympique Lyonnais ousted AS Roma in the round of 16—but the Belgian First Division A leaders will pose a threat in the last eight, having beaten APOEL Nicosia to advance from the previous round.

Meanwhile, Lyon were drawn against Besiktas, Dutch giants Ajax will face Schalke 04 and Celta Vigo were paired with Belgium's Genk. 

Here is the draw in full:

Home Leg First	vs.	Away Leg First
Anderlecht	vs.	Manchester United
Celta Vigo	vs.	Genk
Ajax	vs.	Schalke
Lyon	vs.	Besiktas

The first legs will take place on Thursday, April 13, with the second legs scheduled for a week later on Thursday, April 20.

United slightly laboured to a 2-1 aggregate defeat of Russian outfit Rostov to reach the last eight, but the quality of their squad is unmatched by any other side left in the competition.

Per The Telegraph's James Ducker, they have been handed a relatively kind draw for the last eight and should advance to the semi-finals:

Anderlecht ousted APOEL by winning 2-0 on aggregate, and they will likely have to rely on their defensive strength if they are to see off the Premier League giants. 

Per UEFA, the two clubs have met six times before, sharing three wins apiece from the various encounters.

The last time they clashed was in the group stage of the 2000-01 UEFA Champions League, when Anderlecht prevailed 2-1 in Belgium but United earned a 5-1 victory at Old Trafford.

United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has good memories of facing the Belgian outfit from his time with Paris Saint-Germain, per Opta:

Lyon laid down a significant marker with their defeat of Roma. The Serie A side were seen by many as United's main contenders for the Europa League after the round of 32, but their 4-2 away defeat to Lyon in the last-16 first leg put paid to their chances—a 5-4 aggregate loss after the second leg saw the Giallorossi eliminated.

The Ligue 1 outfit are a force to be reckoned with at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, and they will be favourites going into their tie with Besiktas.

The Turkish side enjoyed a 4-1 home drubbing of Greek champions Olympiakos (5-2 on aggregate) to reach the quarter-finals, though, and will pose a tough challenge. 

Ajax have a storied history in European competition but have not reached the last eight in the Champions League or Europa League for 14 years, per the club's Twitter account:

They were clinical in overturning a first-leg deficit to beat Copenhagen 3-2 on aggregate in the last 16 and will face a Schalke side struggling in the Bundesliga—they sit 11th.

Celta Vigo are also struggling domestically and are 11th in La Liga, but they have a strong record against Belgian sides, per Opta:

Their tie with Genk is likely to be tight, and Celta will be desperate to take a lead to Belgium for the second leg.