Duels such as Napoli, Chucky, against Leicester, Guti’s PSV against Monaco or Betis against Leverkusen, draw attention in the draw for the group stage of the Europa League
Mexicans Hirving Lozano, Andrés Guardado, Diego Lainez and Erick Gutiérrez, who will take part in the next edition of the Europa League, met their luck for the group stage after the draw that took place in Istanbul.
.Teams such as Lyon, Monaco, PSV Eindhoven, Naples, Leicester, Lazio, Marseille and Bayern Leverkusen give luster to a tournament that changes its format from now on and has Villarreal as to reigning champions after winning the Gdansk final at Manchester United months ago.
Both Betis and the Royal Society, the only Spanish representatives, will face historical opponents. The draw for a competition that has reduced the number of participants to thirty-two teams has been a tough rival this Friday.
As in the Champions League the group stage is made up of eight groups of four representatives instead of the twelve quartets that existed until now.
The group champion reaches the round of 16 directly. The latter will play sixteenth with the third in each group in the Champions League. Those who do not stay in the Europa League will play in the new Conference League.
In addition, Real Sociedad will play PSV’s Erick Gutiérrez, 1 former defeats champion in recent years and who has not just knocked down Ajax’s dominance in the Dutch league.
The Spanish representative, in any case aspiring to occupy one of the first two places in his group, has the weak Austrian Sturm Graz as the last member of the quartet.
Betis return to Europe three seasons after reaching the last 16 with Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic and Ferencvaros as initial opponents.
The Germanic ensemble is the most powerful opponent on paper. Champions League finalist is one of the title contenders, a regular in the top of the Bundesliga.
Celtic is a historic team that has lost weight in Europe. Also in Scotland where he lost the title last year to the Rangers. The team of the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini has between the eyebrows the classification. The Hungarian Ferencvaros carries the reputation of before but its weight has waned in recent football.
The Europa League draw brought together other groups laden with incentives. Especially striking is Group C with Napoli and English Leicester alongside Spartak Moscow and Legia.
Lazio, another candidate in terms of squad and history, has matched in the E with Marseille’s Argentine Jorge Sampaoli, Turkish Galatasaray and Russian Lokomotiv.
Lyon aspires to finish first in Group A which includes the Rangers, who were unable to secure a place in the Champions League despite winning the Scottish League, Sparta Prague and Danish Brondby. I
– Composition of groups.
. group A
Lyon (FRA), Rangers (ESC), Sparta Prague (CZE), Brondby (DIN)
. group B
Monaco (FRA), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Royal Society (ESP), Sturm Graz (AUT)
. group C
Naples (ITA), Leicester (ING), Spartak Moscow (RUS), Legia Warsaw (POL)
. Group D
Olympiacos (GRE), Eintracht Frankfurt (ALE), Fenerbahce (TUR), Antwerp (BEL)
. Group E
Lazio (ITA), Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS), Olympique Marseille (FRA), Galatasaray (TUR)
. Group F
Panties (POR), Red Star (SRB), Ludogorets (BUL), Midtjylland (DIN)
. Group G
Bayer Leverkusen (ALE), Celtic (ESC), Betis (ESP), Ferencvaros (HUN)
. Group H
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Genk (BEL), West Ham (ING), Rapid Vienna (AUT).