Liverpool is set to face Sparta Prague in the Europa League’s last 16, while Brighton will take on Roma. Meanwhile, West Ham has been drawn against Freiburg, and Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers are set to clash with Benfica.
In the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa, the sole remaining British team, faces the challenge of overcoming former European champions Ajax.
The first legs of these matchups are scheduled for 7 March, with the return legs to follow on 14 March.
The Europa League knockout round play-offs, which concluded on Thursday, saw teams from the Europa League group stages facing off against those that finished third in the Champions League groups.
In both the Europa League and Europa Conference League, the group winners, seeded in Friday’s draw, will enjoy the advantage of playing their second leg at home in the last 16 ties. This includes Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, Rangers, and Aston Villa.
Liverpool, leading the Premier League, secured their spot in the last 16 of the Europa League back in November, bypassing the February play-off round by topping their group. With ambitions across multiple competitions this season, including the League Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday, the Reds are poised for another strong campaign in Europe.
Having previously met Sparta Prague in the 2010-11 Europa League, Liverpool emerged victorious with a late goal from Dirk Kuyt, progressing 1-0 on aggregate.
West Ham, having advanced from the group stage as well, are no strangers to European success, having won the Europa Conference League last season and reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2022. They have already secured two victories against German side Freiburg in this season’s competition.
Brighton, making their European debut, clinched their place in the last 16 by defeating Marseille in the group stage. They now face a challenge against Roma, last season’s Europa League runners-up, who overcame Feyenoord in a penalty shootout.
Aston Villa, returning to European competition for the first time since the 2010-11 season, topped their group in the Europa Conference League with an impressive 13 points from six matches.
Read More:
Pingback: Dune: Part 2 Buzz Soars With Glowing Reviews And Strong Box Office Pre-Sales - BE UPDATED
Pingback: Exploring The Future: XREAL Air 2 AR Glasses Review - BE UPDATED