Europa League Round of 16 Draw: An Overview
The much-anticipated Europa League round of 16 draw is set to unfold later this week. Four British teams, namely Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, and Rangers, are eagerly awaiting their fate in UEFA’s secondary competition. With Manchester United and Newcastle bowing out after finishing at the bottom of their Champions League groups, these four teams carry the hopes of Britain.
Liverpool, Brighton, and West Ham are considered among the stronger contenders in the remaining lineup. The Rangers, having reached the final in the 2021/22 season, are also expected to make a deep run. All these teams topped their groups and are poised to give their all in this crucial stage of the competition.
Date and Time of the Draw
The draw for the Europa League’s next knockout stage is scheduled for Friday, February 23. The event will take place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, starting at 11am UK time. Full coverage of the draw will be provided by talkSPORT, with a live blog running on talkSPORT.com. Fans can tune in via the website, DAB digital radio, smart speakers, or on 1089 or 1053 AM.
Draw Format
The 16 teams in the draw are divided into two sections. The first section comprises the group-stage winners, which include Liverpool, West Ham, Brighton, and Rangers. The second section consists of the play-off round winners. The group-stage section is seeded, ensuring they play the second leg at home. Teams from the same association and section will not face each other at this stage, so the three Premier League sides and Rangers will avoid each other.
Teams in the Draw
Group-stage winners:
- Atalanta
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Brighton
- Liverpool
- Rangers
- Slavia Prague
- Villarreal
- West Ham
Play-off teams (second legs still to play):
- Feyenoord/Roma [1-1]
- Galatasaray/Sparta Prague [3-2]
- Shakhtar Donetsk/Marseille [2-2]
- Young Boys/Sporting Lisbon [1-3]
- AC Milan/Rennes [3-0]
- Benfica/Toulouse [2-1]
- Lens/Freiburg [0-0]
- Braga/Qarabag [2-4]
