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      Premier League’s Euro adventurers facing crunch week in fight to land England fifth spot in revamped Champions League

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      ENGLAND’S Euro adventurers can take a massive step towards securing the Prem a fifth Champions League spot for next season this week..Uefa’s competitions revamp will see the Champions League extended to 36 teams and a “Swiss model” league system from next season.Arsenal are amongst the six English clubs still in European competitionCredit: GettyLiverpool return to Europa League action against Sparta Prague on ThursdayCredit: ReutersTwo of the extra places go to the top two performing nations across the three Uefa competitions in the preceding campaign.England go into the completion of the last 16 stage of the Champions League – and the full equivalent in the Europa League and Conference League – in third position in the table, behind Italy and Germany.But unlike the first stage of post-Christmas knock-out action, when only Manchester City and Arsenal were involved, all six of the Prem’s remaining teams will play this month.And by the time the quarter-final survivors are known, it will be far clearer if England is on course for an extra place – or if the race for the top four will become even more vital.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLCity will lead the English expedition when they complete their last 16 tie against Copenhagen, after the 3-1 win in the Danish capital, although Arsenal’s home leg against Porto is next week.But Liverpool, West Ham, Brighton and Aston Villa are all in action on Thursday, with the chance to propel England into the top two of the coefficient table.All wins are worth two points, with a draw earning one, plus bonus points for reaching specfic stages of the three competitions.A country’s total points haul is then divided by the number of teams which entered across the three events at the start of the season.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThat is why, despite grossing the most total points so far – 111 – England’s current total, divided by eight, is 13.875pts, with Italy on top with 15.571 and Germany second on 14.5.City’s expected win over the Danish champions would add 0.375pts to the Englnd tally.Europa League draw revealed as Liverpool face Sparta Prague, Brighton get horror draw and West Ham face familiar foeMeanwhile, Bayern Munich and Leipzig must come back from first leg defeats by Lazio and Real Madrid respectively this week.Failure to do so would open the door for England – with all four teams playing away from home – to overtake the Germans and move into a great position on Thursday – especially given the respective draws.Liverpool, red hot favourites for the Europa League, face Czechs Sparta Prague but Brighton’s trip to Roma and West Ham’s third meeting of the season with Freiburg can directly impact the race of the extra slots.A win over two legs for Villa against Ajax would also bolster the Prem position.Serie A has three sides still in the Europa League, with Milan and Atalanta alongside Roma, and Fiorentina in the Conference League.Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen and Dortmund – whose Champions League second leg is next week – are the remaining Bundesliga clubs left.The other candidate who could get back into the mix is Spain, currently fifth on 13.187 but with Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Sociedad – who trail PSG 2-0 – also in the Champions League and Villarreal in the Europa League.A clean slate of English wins this week would net a total haul of 1.375 points, with a repeat and progression next week – Arsenal start 1-0 down against Porto –  adding a further 1.75pts including bonuses.Treble winners Manchester City lead Copenhagen following their first leg in DenmarkCredit: GettyExits for Leipzig, Bayern and Freiburg – West Ham won both group stage meetings – would leave German hopes of retaking the lead over England hugely damaged.And further down the coefficient table, Rangers will be urging Liverpool, Milan and Swiss side Servette to all oust their Czech opponents, espeically if they are ejected by Portuguese giants Benfica.READ MORE SUN STORIESScotland are currently 10th in the five-year country standings, holding onto the last automatic league stage spot for the 2025-26 version of the Champions League.But the Czechs are close behind and can overtake Scotland, meaning the SPL champions would have to go into the preliminary round knock-out stage in August 2025. More

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      ‘Super league by another name’ fume fans as Uefa confirm new Champions League format that is ‘ruining’ football

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      UEFA’S new Champions League format has been slammed by fans for “ruining” football.European football’s governing body have confirmed the new layout for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.Fans have slammed Uefa’s new Champions League formatCredit: GettyThe changes are set to come into effect from the start of next season.Uefa’s Premier competition will be extended to 36 teams from 32 for the 2024-25 season.However, fans are unconvinced by the changes and have even compared the new format to the failed European Super League.One angry supporter wrote on X: “Super league by another name.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnother added: “They’re ruining the beautiful game.”A third fan also commented: “So it’s the Super League in disguise.”Meanwhile, one more said: “Basically the Super League.”The new system will see 36 teams playing in the main part of all three competitions.Most read in Champions LeagueBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSInstead of eight groups of four clubs in the initial phase, there will be a new “league” format.Supercomputer reveals Arsenal’s chances of winning Champions League after toothless Porto loss without a shot on targetEach club will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.The format will be mirrored across all three competitions, except for six matches instead of eight in the Conference League.The top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The Europa League and Conference League will each have a week when matches can be played across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as the standalone competition being played.Uefa’s new format is set to come into effect ahead of next season’s Champions LeagueCredit: APThe 2024/25 Champions League will also see the first implication of two additional qualifying spots.These are to be awarded to the nations that are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season.READ MORE SUN STORIESThat is a table based on the results of a nation’s teams in all three European competitions.The total points earned by every nation’s clubs – with bonus points for reaching certain stages plus match-related points – are divided by the number of sides in European competitions. More

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      European fixtures key to huge points for Dream Team managers across next two Gameweeks

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      ANY Dream Team manager worth their salt knows to squeeze the schedule for all it’s worth.The logic is simple and undeniable: more fixtures equals more point-scoring opportunities.
      This ploy isn’t totally fool-proof but it generally pays dividends over the course of a season.

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      Smart options for Gameweeks 26 and 27?Credit: Dream Team
      Looking at the next fortnight or so, it appears the upcoming European games hold the key to plentiful points.
      In Gameweek 26, five teams will fulfil two fixtures with Manchester City, Liverpool, West Ham, Brighton and Aston Villa all in continental action in midweek after a full round of Premier League games at the weekend.
      Pep Guardiola’s side host neighbours Manchester United on Sunday before welcoming FC Copenhagen to the Etihad on Wednesday night.
      Given Erling Haaland (£7.5m) plundered 40 points in Gameweek 25, the captaincy debate is likely to be a simple one for most gaffers.
      Elsewhere, Liverpool travel to Nottingham Forest and Sparta Prague in what has to be considered a favourable double header.
      Dream Team bosses eagerly await availability updates on Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) and Darwin Nunez (£4.5m).
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      Salah will be a popular recruit if deemed availableCredit: Getty
      Brighton also have back-to-back away days in the form of Fulham in the league then Roma in the Europa League.
      Pascal Gross (£4.5m) is among Dream Team’s most in-form players at present having earned 49 points across his last five outings.
      West Ham are the third and final English team still active in the Europa League.
      The Hammers face Freiburg (again) after a trip to Everton at the weekend.
      Jarrod Bowen’s (£4.5m) hat-trick against Brentford on Monday suddenly looks very timely indeed.
      The England international provided healthy returns for much of last season thanks in no small part to his ultimately triumphant Europa Conference League commitments.
      This season it’s Aston Villa who are set to take part in the knockout stages of the continent’s tertiary competition.
      31 goal involvements and countingCredit: Getty
      Unai Emery’s side drew a big name in the round of 16 in the form of Ajax but it’s worth noting that the Dutch giants have been below par for much of 2023/24.
      Jordan Henderson and company are without a win in their last four league games and currently reside fifth in the Eredivisie table.
      Ollie Watkins (£4.5m), Douglas Luiz (£3.9m), John McGinn (£3.7m), Emi Martinez (£3.1m) and Leon Bailey (£3m) are therefore all tempting options.
      The former has scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists in all competitions this season while the latter has quietly amassed 20 goal involvements.
      The Villains travel to Luton on Saturday for their Premier League match-up with the Hatters having just shipped six goals to City in the FA Cup.
      Back among the goalsCredit: Getty

      Looking forward to Gameweek 27, it’s Arsenal who will be in Champions League action in Man City’s place for their second leg against Porto.
      Whereas Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham and Aston Villa will all fulfil their respective second legs in consecutive Gameweeks.
      These four clubs are therefore the only teams with two fixtures each in Gameweeks 26 and 27.
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      This clearly hasn’t escaped Dream Team bosses as the four most-popular recruits ahead of Saturday’s deadline are currently: Watkins, Bowen, Virgil van Dijk (£3.9m) and Douglas Luiz.
      Targeting the midweek European fixtures is likely to be a profitable strategy.

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      West Ham face same team for THREE matches running in bizarre quirk due to little-known rule in Europa League draw

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      WEST HAM fans might grow bored of their Europa League last 16 opponents pretty quickly.The Hammers will face off against German side Freiburg in the next round of the competition, with some fans fuming about the draw and even labelling it as “rigged”, in unfounded claims.
      West Ham will face Freiburg in the last 16 of the Europa LeagueCredit: Getty
      Although it won’t be an easy tie for the Hammers, it will certainly be a familiar one.
      West Ham faced Freiburg in the group stages, meaning they have come up against them twice already this season.
      And with their final group match having been against the Bundesliga outfit, David Moyes’ side will be playing Freiburg THREE times in a row with the last 16 tie being played over two legs.
      Usually teams can’t be drawn against a team from their own group in European competitions, but the Europa League’s format has changed to mean it can now happen.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Each team that tops their group automatically secures a spot in the last 16 while the second placed teams head into a play-off with the best ranked sides that drop down from the Champions League.
      The winner of the play-off books their spot in an open draw to face one of the Europa League group stage winners in the last 16 of the tournament.
      So although West Ham are playing Freiburg three times in a row in the tournament, it will not be the same for the Germans who had to beat French club Lens over two legs to secure their spot in the next round.
      West Ham and Feiburg aren’t the only two teams who will face off against a team they already played in the group stages either.
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      Sporting Lisbon and Atalanta were both in Group D together and will now go head to head again in the next round.
      While Bayer Leverkusen and Qarabag will also meet again after playing twice in Group H earlier in the season.

      West Ham may take confidence in facing Freiburg again after they got the better of them on both occasions in the group stage.
      Lucas Paqueta and Nayef Aguerd netted in a 2-1 victory at the Europa-Park Stadium when the teams met on matchday two.
      While Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez both scored in a comfortable 2-0 win at the London Stadium in December.
      The Hammers have already beaten Freiburg twice this seasonCredit: AP More

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      Europa League clash descends into chaos with limbs everywhere as former Arsenal star caught up in mass brawl

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      SPARTA PRAGUE’S Europa League clash with Galatasaray ended in chaos as a mass brawl broke out on the touchline.Sparta claimed a 6-4 aggregate victory over the Turkish giants after a 4-1 second-leg win in the Czech Republic on Thursday night.
      A huge brawl broke out on the touchline following Sparta Prague’s winCredit: Twitter @footballontnt
      Lucas Torreira, right, was among those in the middle of the chaotic sceneCredit: Twitter @footballontnt
      It was an ugly end to a thrilling Europa League tieCredit: Twitter @footballontnt
      The last-16 tie was settled in added time when Jan Kutcha scored in the 96th minute to make sure of Prague’s place in the last 16.
      But moments later there were manic scenes on the sideline as the final whistle was blown.
      Both sets of players and coaching staff were embroiled in a furious altercation as they came to blows.
      In among the heaps of bodies was ex-Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira – who appeared to be trying to diffuse the situation.
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      Torreira, 28, left the Gunners for Galatasaray in 2022 and claimed the Turkish Super Lig title last season.
      Former Crystal Palace and Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha was also in the midst of the post-match brawl.
      It was eventually diffused without anybody being shown a red card.
      However, a sending off had taken place during the match when Galatasaray man Kaan Ayhan was dismissed in the 70th minute.
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      He was given the red card after a VAR review for a poor challenge.
      Following their victory, Sparta have been handed one of the hardest possible draws in the last 16 as they will take on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
      Europa League draw revealed as Liverpool face Sparta Prague, Brighton get horror draw and West Ham face familiar foe
      Other standout ties include Rangers vs Benfica, Brighton vs Roma and Villarreal and Marseille.
      Some fans were left furious with the draw on Friday.
      The first legs will take place on March 7, before the return fixtures on March 14.
      The Europa League last-16 draw includes some huge names More

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      Fans fear for Premier League’s fifth Champions League spot after tricky Europa League draw

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      FANS fear the Premier League could miss out on a fifth Champions League spot after English teams were dealt a tricky Europa League draw.Uefa’s expansion of the Champions League next season means there will be an extra automatic place from the domestic leagues of the two best-performing countries across the three European competitions.
      West Ham and Brighton could play a big role in boosting the Premier League’s coefficient
      England stood in third, narrowly behind second-placed Germany, at the end of the group phase in December.
      But the Prem’s coefficient ranking will be boosted if English clubs continue to progress in European competition this season.
      However Arsenal are in danger of Champions League elimination after losing the first leg of their second round tie with Porto 1-0.
      While Brighton have now been handed a tricky tie against Roma, who won the Europa Conference League in 2022.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Liverpool will be expected to beat Sparta Prague but West Ham face a challenging test in Freiburg.
      Aston Villa, meanwhile, have been paired with Ajax in the Conference League draw.
      Fans fear the Premier League’s coefficient will take a hit if Brighton and West Ham exit the Europa League in the next round, particularly the Hammers as opponents Freiburg play in the Bundesliga and a win for them would push Germany further ahead of England.
      One supporter reacted to the draw saying: “Premier League’s coefficient is finished if West Ham and Brighton both go out. More damaging if West Ham go out.”
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      Another added: “West Ham have an easy draw….more sad for Brighton”
      And a Chelsea fan wrote: “It’s looking long for our chances of Europe if we lose this Sunday.”
      Uefa’s coefficient ranking sees all the match and bonus points acquired by a country’s clubs divided by the number of teams involved at the start of the season – with England and Spain both having the maximum possible eight.
      It meant that City’s win over Copenhagen and a potential Arsenal win at Porto can earn England a maximum 0.5 ranking points.
      By contrast, Germany with five teams in action, could have earned 2.142pts, France (five clubs) 3.167pts, Spain (six clubs) 1.5pts and Italy (five teams) 2.286pts.
      The Premier League was not helped by Man Utd and Newcastle’s last-placed finishes in the Champions League group stage, which saw them exit Europe altogether.
      ‘Very good, I like that’ says Europa League draw host after Man Utd icon John O’Shea’s cheeky joke live on TV More

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      Fuming fans say Europa League draw is ‘rigged’ after Liverpool land ‘best team they could have got’

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      FOOTBALL fans accused the Europa League draw of being “rigged” after English clubs discovered their last-16 opponents.Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham were all in the hat for the draw on Friday having won their respective groups before Christmas.
      Some fans were thoroughly unhappy with the Europa League draw
      Their success in the group stage meant they would be pitted against a team that had come through the play-off round – which they entered either as group runners-up or after dropping down from the Champions League.
      And Liverpool earned themselves a favourable draw as they will take on Sparta Prague.
      But West Ham and Brighton have been handed tougher paths, with The Hammers facing Bundesliga side Freiburg and The Seagulls coming up against Italian giants Roma.
      This led to many fans flocking to social media to rage about the draw.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      One said: “Rigged tournament.”
      Another added: “Rigged the draw.”
      While a West Ham fan replied: “So rigged hahaha, we have no chance.”
      But one Liverpool supporter was over the moon as they responded: “Sparta Prague, best draw we could’ve got. So happy about it.”
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      Meanwhile, others were baffled by the rules of the draw as Qarabag were paired with Bayer Leverkusen despite the pair being in the same group.
      A social media user said: “They met in the group stage? This is so rigged man.”
      ‘Very good, I like that’ says Europa League draw host after Man Utd icon John O’Shea’s cheeky joke live on TV
      Europa Conference League holders West Ham and Freiburg also faced off in the group stage, with David Moyes’ men claiming two victories.
      The first-leg ties will take place on March 7, with the return legs seven days later.
      Rangers will continue their European journey with a tough fixture against Benfica.
      And French heavyweights Marseille will take on 2021 Europa League winners Villarreal.
      Nobody offered any proof for their suggestions that the draw was rigged.
      See the full draw below…
      Here is the Europa League last-16 draw More

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      Europa League draw LIVE: Liverpool land dream tie, West Ham face Germans, Rangers take on Portuguese giants – reaction

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      THE Europa League last-16 draw has concluded at the Uefa headquarters in Switzerland – and there are some mouth-watering ties for British clubs to look forward to.Liverpool will face Czech champions Sparta Prague while West Ham take on German side Freiburg.
      Brighton take on Italian giants Roma and Rangers will go head-to-head with Benfica.
      Elsewhere, Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa face Ajax in the Europa Conference League last-16.

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      Villa’s trip to Ajax
      Villa’s trip to Ajax in the Europa Conference League could have a huge bearing on their race for top four.
      They will travel to Amsterdam on March 7, before hosting Spurs at Villa Park three days later on Sunday March 10.
      The game against Tottenham will be at 1pm too,further minimising turnaround time for the Villains.
      The two clubs are the current favourites for finishing fourth and the games being so close together could affect Unai Emery’s team selection.
      Credit: Getty
      Copy linkCopiedEuropa Conference League fixtures
      Here’s when Aston Villa play next in the Europa Conference League:
      March 7:
      Ajax vs Aston Villa
      March 14:
      Aston Villa vs Ajax
      Copy linkCopiedEuropa League fixtures
      Here’s the full schedule of the British teams’ upcoming Europa League fixtures:
      March 7, 8pm:

      Benfica vs Rangers
      Roma vs Brighton
      Freiburg vs West Ham
      Sparta Prague vs Liverpool

      March 14, 8pm:

      Rangers vs Benfica
      Brighton vs Roma
      West Ham vs Freiburg
      Liverpool vs Sparta Prague

      Copy linkCopiedLiverpool’s injury worries
      Liverpool are sweating on the fitness of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final.
      Forwards Salah and Nunez were both injured during last Saturday’s win at Brentford and missed the midweek over Luton, while midfield man Szoboszlai has missed four matches with a hamstring injury.
      But Liverpool’s assistant boss Pep Lijnders says he hopes the trio will be fit for the Wembley clash with Chelsea.
      Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota and Alisson are all out for at least another month.
      This comes after the Merseysiders drew Sparta Prague in the Europa League’s Last 16 with their first match set for March 7 in the Czech Republic.
      With Dom, Darwin and Mo we have to really see. We have two more days and we will check if they are there. It would be great if they can be ready.Pep Lijnders
      Copy linkCopiedEuropa Conference League draw
      Here’s the full draw of the Europa Conference League Last 16 draw:

      Servette vs Viktoria Plzen
      Ajax vs Aston Villa
      Molde vs Club Brugge
      Union Saint-Gilloise vs Fenerbahce
      Dinamo Zagreb vs PAOK
      Sturm Graz vs Lille
      Maccabi Haifa vs Fiorentina
      Olympiacos vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

      Copy linkCopiedEuropa Conference League draw
      Aston Villa have drawn Ajax in the Europa Conference League’s Last 16.
      The first game will take place away in Amsterdam before the second leg at Villa Park.
      Copy linkCopiedEuropa Conference League next
      Aston Villa are the next British club to find out their opponents in Europe.
      But Villa will be playing in the Last 16 of the Europa Conference League.
      Here are their potential opponents:

      Ajax
      Dinamo Zagreb
      Maccabi Haifa
      Molde
      Olympiacos
      Servette
      Sturm Graz
      Union SG

      Copy linkCopiedEuropa League fixtures
      Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham and Rangers return to European action next month int he Europa League Last 16.
      The first legs are scheduled for March 7 and the second legs of the competition’s knockout stage will take place a week later on March 14.
      The British clubs will first play away and then host their opponents in the crucial return fixture.
      That means Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham and Rangers first fly to Sparta Prague, Roma, Freiburg and Benfica respectively.
      Copy linkCopiedEuropa League Draw
      Here’s the full fixtures list for the Last 16:

      Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
      Marseille vs Villarreal
      Roma vs Brighton
      Benfica vs Rangers
      Freiburg vs West Ham
      Sporting Lisbon vs Atalanta
      AC Milan vs Slavia Prague
      Qarabag vs Bayer Leverkusen

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      Europa League Draw

      Qarabag vs Bayer Leverkusen
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      Europa League Draw

      And finally…
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      Europa League Draw

      AC Milan vs Slavia Prague
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      Europa League Draw

      AC Milan to find out their opponents…
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      Europa League Draw

      Sporting Lisbon vs Atalanta
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      Europa League Draw

      Sporting Lisbon are next…
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      Europa League Draw

      Freiburg vs West Ham
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      Europa League Draw

      Freiburg will face…
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      Benfica vs Rangers
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      Europa League Draw

      Benfica are next…
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      Europa League Draw

      Roma vs Brighton
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      Europa League Draw

      Roma waiting for their next opponent…
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      Europa League Draw

      Marseille vs Villarreal
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      Europa League Draw

      Marseille are next…
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      Europa League Draw

      Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
      Copy linkCopiedEuropa League Draw
      Sparta Prague first out the pot
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