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Europa League draw: All you need to know

Last updated on .From the section European Footballcomments340

Sevilla celebrate
Sevilla beat Inter Milan in last season's Europa League final

Sevilla claimed the Europa League last season - but there is little time to rest on their success.

The Europa League draw is on Friday (12:00 BST), after the final qualifiers were played on Thursday night.

Here is everything you need to know.

How does the draw work?

The 48 teams will be split into four pots - determined by their club coefficient rankings - to form 12 groups.

In some cases, where associations have two or more teams involved in the draw, they may be paired so that they play with different kick-off times for the benefit of TV audiences.

Once again, no team can be drawn against another from their own association, so English sides Leicester City and Arsenal will avoid facing each other.

Who will be in the draw?

There are 18 automatic qualifiers - Villarreal, Real Sociedad, Leicester, Arsenal, Napoli, Roma, Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim, Lille, Nice, Braga, Feyenoord, Wolfsburg, CSKA Moscow, Royal Antwerp, Zorya Luhansk, Sivasspor, Sparta Prague - along with Benfica, AZ Alkmaar and Rapid Vienna who were eliminated from the Champions League third qualifying round.

They will be joined by the 21 winners from the play-off round and six teams who are eliminated from the Champions League play-offs.

What is the British interest?

Leicester were beaten to a top-four place on final day of the Premier League season to finish fifth and end up in the Europa League. Mikel Arteta steered Arsenal to victory in the FA Cup final over Chelsea to claim a spot in the competition.

North London rivals Tottenham beat Maccabi Haifa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the play-off round on Thursday for a spot in the draw.

Two Scottish Premiership sides are also in the draw. Celtic beat Bosnian side FK Sarajevo while Rangers progressed against Turkish giants Galatasaray.

When are the match days?

Matchday one: 22 October

Matchday two: 29 October

Matchday three: 5 November

Matchday four: 26 November

Matchday five: 3 December

Matchday six: 10 December

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340 comments

  • Comment posted by TheGreatSimondo, at 11:35 1 Oct 2020

    Whoever has voted that Man Utd will win the champions league is in complete denial. We are not good enough and I pray that we don't get drawn in with Munich or any of the Spanish clubs.

    • Reply posted by The Spin Doctor, at 14:38 1 Oct 2020

      The Spin Doctor replied:
      Not in denial, they know Utd are not going to win it, but their mouse will not allow them to click on Liverpool so the true Liverpool % should really be a total of both the Liverpool and Man Utd %s.

  • Comment posted by AndyB_MOT, at 10:58 1 Oct 2020

    When are UEFA going to realise that we don't want all this convoluted stuff?

    Unseeded, straight knockout, champions only please. As it should be.

    • Reply posted by gavinmac, at 11:13 1 Oct 2020

      gavinmac replied:
      Yes that is the way it should be champions only like back in the day!! Sadly will never happen again because of the huge amounts of revenue the competition makes with all the extra teams and matches. Even when many of the pot 4 teams are cannon fodder and whipping boys for the big boys.

  • Comment posted by Wayne, at 10:43 1 Oct 2020

    Who are the jokers voting that Man U will win the CL?

    • Reply posted by User0503982331, at 10:49 1 Oct 2020

      User0503982331 replied:
      Dont write anyone off before a ball has been kicked, cant see anyone other than Bayern winning it this year though they are head and shoulders above the rest.

  • Comment posted by paul hirst, at 10:21 1 Oct 2020

    At the time of making this comment Man Utd are rated at 8% ahead of PSG, Juventus and Barcelona to win Champions league. Only the most optimistic Red Devils supporter could possibly believe that Ole's boys are capable of winning this competition considering the state that the club is at the moment. Its misguided loyalty gone way too far, difficult to look beyond Bayern and Liverpool tbh.

    • Reply posted by User0323066196, at 10:25 1 Oct 2020

      User0323066196 replied:
      Bayern again this year for me

  • Comment posted by Budgie, at 11:21 1 Oct 2020

    Yes, the draws are happening soon and all the rest of it

    But how did Sterling miss that chance?!!

    • Reply posted by The Spin Doctor, at 15:12 1 Oct 2020

      The Spin Doctor replied:
      Or how did Barcelona lose 8 - 2 to Bayern?!!

  • Comment posted by ERIC V11, at 10:24 1 Oct 2020

    If there is any justice in sport Man City will be drawn in the same CL group as Bayern Munich.
    The match we all want to see.

    • Reply posted by feedthegoat, at 11:45 1 Oct 2020

      feedthegoat replied:
      Ah, you've seen the light,and swapped your allegiance to the brilliant Mcfc. Good man, you won't regret it.

  • Comment posted by TheGreatSimondo, at 11:43 1 Oct 2020

    I remember the good old days when the league winners automatically qualified and 2nd place had to play a 2 leg qualifying tie. Man Utd having to play Les Sealey, because of the limited amount of none uk players allowed in goal, and Blackburn doing well. Romario and the outstanding Italian teams. Now its just a cash cow for UEFA

  • Comment posted by D1711390499170, at 10:22 1 Oct 2020

    The draw will probably take as long as the competition itself!

  • Comment posted by Emlyn Hughes, at 10:41 1 Oct 2020

    When Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2018 final, Madrid were clearly the strong favourites and it's amazing to think that for this year's competition, Liverpool will fear nobody. In fact, they might be a little wary of Bayern, but there is nobody to fear.
    How times have changed.

    • Reply posted by User0503982331, at 10:50 1 Oct 2020

      User0503982331 replied:
      Liverpool wont want to draw Atletico again

  • Comment posted by Ethereal73, at 12:09 1 Oct 2020

    United to get an easy draw.. They get help. Penalties got them into the top 4 and a favourable draw will try to keep them there.. TV money is all that is left in the game just now..

    • Reply posted by TheGreatSimondo, at 12:13 1 Oct 2020

      TheGreatSimondo replied:
      Yawn. Another HYS comment about how Utd cheat and everything always is set up to go their way. If there was a HYS section on Sutton Utd you people would still moan on about how everything is a scam

  • Comment posted by Bored now, at 12:45 1 Oct 2020

    It amazes me to think 8% of voters actually think Man Utd will actually win this competition. Pass me that reefa 😂

    • Reply posted by Martarslipstick, at 13:20 1 Oct 2020

      Martarslipstick replied:
      Unfortunately It doesn't amaze me that 45% (at time of posting) have voted Liverpool to win it as the club has so many glory hunters.

      It is a sad indictment of our society that so many adults still childishly glory hunt.

  • Comment posted by pato, at 10:57 1 Oct 2020

    Liverpool vs Bayern 2021 final to see who's winning number 7

    • Reply posted by User0293225424, at 11:35 1 Oct 2020

      User0293225424 replied:
      Bayern Munich, pretty easily

  • Comment posted by D1710452610937, at 10:55 1 Oct 2020

    Sorry off topic
    Anyone else finding they can't post a comment on news stories HYS but can on sports ones?

    On topic, wouldn't risk a penny betting on any team to win, think this year, both European comps are a bit of a lottery, anything could happen in this Covid world

    • Reply posted by D1679377073340, at 13:39 1 Oct 2020

      D1679377073340 replied:
      Yeah same problem with posting for last few days. Can't up/down rate either

  • Comment posted by Noisy Neighbour, at 12:44 1 Oct 2020

    Haha Utd fans are the most deluded and self pitying fans in World Football.. imagine Voting in the Poll above that your Shower is going to win the CL.. You are European Minnows, just one European Cup ahead of Notts Forest.. You couldn't make it up 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • Reply posted by User0323066196, at 13:18 1 Oct 2020

      User0323066196 replied:
      How do you know it was United fans?

  • Comment posted by mal123, at 11:34 1 Oct 2020

    We all have teams that we prefer not to meet, especially early in the tournament,
    even six times Champions, Liverpool! But for City it's easy. Anyone with a foreign sounding name! It used to be the Champions League that was their Achille's heel but you can add the Premier League now as well! Cardboard Cup seems about their safe level!

  • Comment posted by InvernessFan, at 15:09 1 Oct 2020

    I hope the Scottish clubs get into the Europa League group stages.

  • Comment posted by The Old Trafford Career Derailment Scheme, at 12:05 1 Oct 2020

    A bit sad really, but talking of all these moneybags pots when Macclesfield don't have a pot to piss in, it's not right

    • Reply posted by JimmyC, at 12:33 1 Oct 2020

      JimmyC replied:
      I bet the do have a pot, and that you are exaggerating.

  • Comment posted by depotman, at 08:29 2 Oct 2020

    Am I wrong or isnt this an article about the Europa League.?? Lots of Liverpool fans on here who conveniently forget that they only won in 2019 due to a first minute VAR penalty which would never have been handball in the history of football.

    • Reply posted by YNWA It Said, at 11:43 2 Oct 2020

      YNWA It Said replied:
      Aaw diddums. And what was the reason for the nasty team running away with the league? VAR as well? Bad VAR, bad VAR!! There, I've told it off for you, you can go back and play with your Peppa Pig tea set.

  • Comment posted by david, at 14:40 1 Oct 2020

    To the 45% or so who think Liverpool will win the CL this year, wasn't their record last year: played 10, 6 wins, 1 draw, 3 defeats.

    Not saying they can't but they aren't favourites. Bayern are.

    • Reply posted by User0293225424, at 14:50 1 Oct 2020

      User0293225424 replied:
      They are very overrated. Wouldn't be surprised if they crash out off a weak group tbh

  • Comment posted by Jacob, at 11:57 1 Oct 2020

    for those arsenal fans, the champions league is a league for the big boys in europe

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