Winners advance to the round of 16; current runners-up of the competition, AC Milan will face Rennes, while Roma and Feyenoord repeat the 2021/22 Conference League final.
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The Europa League learned on Monday the matchups for the first knockout phase, which precedes the round of 16.
The teams that finished second in their groups will face those that finished third in their Champions League groups. The winners will advance to play in the round of 16 against those who finished first in their Europa League groups.
Current Europa League runners-up, AC Milan, return to the competition after finishing third in the Champions League and will face Rennes in the knockout stage. Another notable matchup is between Roma and Feyenoord, repeating the 2021/22 Conference League final.
The matchups for the first knockout phase of the Europa League:
The teams listed on the left below will play the first leg at home in the knockout phase. Those on the other side will have the home advantage in the second leg.
Feyenoord vs Roma
Milan vs Rennes
Lens vs Freiburg
Young Boys vs Sporting
Benfica vs Toulouse
Braga vs Qarabag
Galatasaray vs Sparta Prague
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Olympique de Marseille
The draw for the first knockout phase was conducted to meet a regulation restriction: teams from the same country could not face each other. This rule will also apply to the round of 16. The teams were distributed in the draw as follows:
Group runners-up in the Europa League: Freiburg (GER), Olympique de Marseille (FRA), Sparta Prague (CZE), Sporting (POR), Toulouse (FRA), Rennes (FRA), Roma (ITA), and Qarabag (AZE)
Third-placed teams in the Champions League: Galatasaray (TUR), Lens (FRA), Braga (POR), Benfica (POR), Feyenoord (NED), Milan (ITA), Young Boys (SUI), and Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
The teams below are the group leaders in the Europa League, already guaranteed a spot in the round of 16. The draw for the round of 16 matchups will be conducted on February 23, 2024.
Group leaders in the Europa League: West Ham (ENG), Brighton (ENG), Rangers (SCO), Atalanta (ITA), Liverpool (ENG), Villarreal (ESP), Slavia Prague (CZE), and Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
