Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
After yesterday’s Champions League draw took place it is now time for the competition’s younger brother to have its moment in the spotlight. The Europa League Group Stage draw has just taken place and here is how the 48 teams have been split.
Everton booked their place in the group stages last night with a 3-1 aggregate win over Hadjuk Split, it was hard fought draw but the game will be most remembered for Gylfi Sigurdsson’s outrageous goal from the half way line.
Talking of hard fought, it looks like it is going to have to be that if they are to progress to the Round of 32. They have been paired with Lyon of France, Atalanta of Italy and Apollon Limassol of Cyprus. That said it is a group they should progress from.
While competition debutants Arsenal make their bow in what must be said is a relatively easy group, they have been paired with Cologne and Red Star Belgrade while they will also have to master BATE (I’m getting that one in now as I will not be the last person to use that joke I’m sure)
Italian giants AC Milan have a particular easy group as they go up against Austria Vienna, Rijeka of Croatia and AEK Athens of Greece.
Here is the draw in full
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu
Group C: Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna, NK Rijeka, AEK Athens
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin
Group G: Viktoria Plzen, Steaua Bucharest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersunds
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar Skopje
