After seeing two of its Champions League survivors handed tough Round of 16 match-ups, the English Premier League enjoyed better fortune in Monday’s Europa League draw. Manchester United, relegated from Europe’s premier club competition last week, were paired with Denmark’s FC Midtylland in Europa’s Round of 32, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klipp will face a familiar foe in Augsburg, currently sitting 13th in the German Bundesliga.
England’s third club in Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur, did not enjoy United and Liverpool’s good fortune. Mauricio Pochettino’s side, having finished first in Group J with 13 points, was paired with Fiorentina, a semifinalist in 2014-15 who currently sit third in Italy’s Serie A.
Two-time defending champion Sevilla, dropping into the competition after a third place finish in their Champions League group, were slotted with Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s resurgent Molde, while Gary Neville’s Valencia, also entering the tournament from Champions League, were draw with Rapid Wien. La Liga’s other teams in the competition, Villarreal and Athletic Club, were given stiffer tasks, having been paired with Napoli and Marseille, respectively.
Bundesliga sides were featured in three of the round’s most attractive ties. The league’s current second place side, Borussia Dortmund, were drawn with fellow former European champions FC Porto, while rival Schalke face Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk. Bayer Leverkusen, also entering the competition from Champions League, will face Portuguese Liga-leading Sporting CP.
The Round of 32’s first legs will be played on Feb. 18, with the return legs taking place on Feb. 25. Matchups for the Round of 16 will be draws on Feb. 26, with those ties’ first legs to take place on March 10.
Europa League Round of 32 draw
Valencia vs. Rapid Wein
Fiorentina vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund vs. Porto
Fenerbahce vs. Lokomotiv Moscow
Anderlecht vs. Olympiacos
Midtjylland vs. Manchester United
Augsburg vs. Liverpool
Sparta Praha vs. Krasnodar
Galatasaray vs. Lazio
Sion vs. Braga
Shakhtar Donestk vs. Schalke
Marseille vs. Athletic Club
Sevilla vs. Molde
Sporting CP vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Villarreal vs. Napoli
Saint-Etienne vs. Basel
