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PARIS — Eternal rivals Manchester United travel to Liverpool in the Europa League last 16, first leg tonight in a battle of English football’s two most successful sides.

United have won the English title a record 20 times, twice more than Liverpool, but the Reds have the edge abroad, having been crowned European champions on five occasions to United’s three.

The Anfield encounter will mark the first time the teams have faced off in European competition, with the two English Premier League giants combining to lift 17 continental trophies. And Louis van Gaal believes the prospect of Champions League qualification makes

Manchester United’s last-16 Europa League tie with Liverpool today “even bigger” than usual.

United and Liverpool are meeting in Uefa’s second-tier club competition — their first ever meeting in Europe — but with both sides outside of the Premier League’s top four, winning the Europa League offers an alternative route of qualifying for Europe’s elite competition next season.

United suffered a 1-0 defeat at West Brom on Sunday and Van Gaal conceded United’s disappointing domestic form has placed added pressure on his team to advance past their bitter local rivals and into the last eight.

“You’ve to win — there’s no difference (with it being a Cup competition),” Van Gaal said. “United and Liverpool is always a big game.

“It’s historical and even bigger now because both teams are fighting for a Champions League place.”

In contrast, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have bounced back impressively from the heartache of their League Cup final defeat to Manchester City on penalties by thrashing the same opponents 3-0 three days later in the league before rallying to claim a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday despite playing the last half-hour a man down.

Liverpool won the last of their three titles in this competition in its previous guise as the Uefa Cup in 2001, but United have never been beyond the quarter-finals of this tournament.

UEFA Europa League – Round of 16 Fixtures

Today: Bor Dortmd v Tottenham (8pm); Basel v Sevilla (8pm); Fenerbahçe v Sporting Braga (8pm); Shakt Donsk v Anderlecht (8pm); Ath Bilbao v Valencia (10:05pm); Liverpool v Manchester United (10:05pm); Sparta Prague v Lazio (10:05pm); Villarreal V Bayer Levkn (10:05pm).