Champions League draw countdown part 1

20 days to go

In the run up to the UEFA Champions League group stage draw on August 27 in Monaco, we will preview one of United's possible opponents each day.

FC Unirea Urziceni

The reigning champions of Liga 1 - the Romanian top flight - hail from the south east of the vast and wide Eastern European country.

Their Tineretului stadium only holds 7,000 fans and does not meat UEFA criteria for staging European games, so their matches will be played further east in the capital at Steaua Bucharest's Stadionul Ghencea.



The capacity there is a much healthier 27,557, though United would probably only get an allocation of 2,000 or so should they draw them in the group stages.

As a tourist destination, Romania might surprise you. On a recent trip there, my friend and I expected constant danger and instead found a safe, welcoming country.

And, what's more, it's cheap as anything - you're looking at 75p a pint and about £2 for a brilliant meal.

Ways to get there (all prices approximate and return):

- Fly to Paris for £50, then spend two days on the train via Munich and Budapest for £110 return
- Fly to Munich for £50, then spend a day and a half on the train via Budapest for £66 return
- Fly from London Luton to Bucharest on Wizzair for £70
- Fly from Stansted to Bucharest on Blue Air for £70
- Fly from London Luton to Timisoara for £30 and then take an eight-hour train for £50
- Fly from Bristol to Budapest for £13 and then and then take a 15-hour train to Bucharest for £60

Fun factor: 8/10
Safety factor: 5/10
Bargain factor: 9/10
Convenience factor: 4/10
Score: 26/40