The play-off stage of the Europa League, where the second-placed teams have to face the teams that finished third in the Champions League group stage, has left some surprises along the way.
This Friday, at 12:00 noon in Zurich, the draw for the round of 16 will be held, where their rival Villarreal awaits, having qualified first in the group, thus avoiding the previous stage.
The Castellón team, the only Spanish team alive in the competition, will obviously be a rival to avoid for the classified teams, although they will also obviously want to avoid some formidable rivals. In particular, the worst case scenario is for the team to be paired with teams like Milan, Benfica and Roma. While the most favorable rivals are undoubtedly Qarabag, who have not yet reached the round of 16, or even Freiburg.
It is undoubtedly a high-level Europa League, because it is worth remembering that teams such as Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta and Brighton have already qualified, teams that Villarreal will avoid at the moment.
Conference League draw without Betis, but with Mendilibar
At the same event, the draw for the round of 16 of the Conference League will also be held (around 1:00 pm), without Betis, who were eliminated by Dinamo Zagreb after also failing to have a good Europa League phase. y confirms his disappointing passage in Europe.
Of the remaining rivals, the ones with the most names are undoubtedly Ajax and Aston Villa, who could be paired in the draw, although we must not forget that Fiorentina or Lille are other dangerous rivals. And in a draw with Olympiakos from Mendilibar, who qualified after leaving Ferencvaros.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
