In the latest chapter of European football, Premier League powerhouses find themselves poised for intense battles in the Europa League Last 16.
Liverpool is set to face Sparta Prague in the Europa League’s last 16, while Roma awaits Brighton. West Ham will confront Freiburg, and Rangers, leaders of the Scottish Premiership, will challenge Benfica.
In the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa, the sole British representative, will encounter former European champions Ajax. The initial legs will occur on 7 March, with the return fixtures scheduled for 14 March.
The Europa League knockout round play-offs, which involved Europa League group stage runners-up against third-place finishers from the Champions League groups, concluded recently. The top eight group winners, seeded in Friday’s draw, progress directly to the last 16, hosting the second legs.
Similar arrangements apply in the Europa Conference League, granting home advantage to Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, and Rangers for their respective second-leg fixtures next month.
Europa League last-16 draw
Sparta Prague v Liverpool
Marseille v Villarreal
Roma v Brighton
Benfica v Rangers
Freiburg v West Ham
Sporting Lisbon v Atalanta
AC Milan v Slavia Prague
Qarabag v Bayer Leverkusen
Liverpool, the frontrunners of the Premier League, secured their spot in the last 16 ahead of schedule in November, thereby bypassing February’s play-off round by topping their group.
Having clinched the title three times and finishing as runners-up in 2016, the Reds are vying for four trophies this season, with a League Cup final against Chelsea on the horizon.
Their sole previous encounter with Sparta Prague occurred in the last 32 of the 2010-11 Europa League, where they advanced 1-0 on aggregate after Dirk Kuyt’s late goal in the second leg.
West Ham, also advancing in the penultimate group round, claimed the Europa Conference League title last season and reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2022. They triumphed over Freiburg twice in this season’s competition.
Brighton, experiencing European football for the first time, defeated Marseille in their final group fixture to emerge as group champions. They are set to face Roma, who finished as runners-up last season and eliminated Feyenoord in a penalty shootout on Thursday.
Aston Villa returns to European competition for the first time since the 2010-11 season, progressing as group winners in the Europa Conference League with 13 points from six matches.
Europa Conference League last-16 draw
Servette v Viktoria Plzen
Ajax v Aston Villa
Molde v Club Brugge
Union SG v Fenerbahce
Dinamo Zagreb v PAOK
Sturm Graz v Lille
Maccabi Haifa v Fiorentina
Olympiacos v Maccabi Tel-Aviv
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