Europa League Group Stage Draw

Manchester United, Inter Milan, Ajax and Zenit St Petersburg were among the continental heavyweights that learned their Europa League fate during Friday’s 48-team group stage draw.

All competing clubs were divided into the usual seeded pots before the draw, producing 12 groups of four from A to L, with the top two from each progressing to the knockout rounds.

Holders Sevilla were, of course, not in the draw after their triumph in May earned passage into the Champions League group stage, a prize on offer to whichever clubs lifts the trophy this time.

Manchester United, competing in the Europa League group stage for the first time, were the very first team out and will face Fenerbahce, Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk from Ukraine in a competitive Group A.

Jose Mourinho previously won the competition in its UEFA Cup guise with Porto in 2003.

Fellow Premier League side Southampton were matched with Italian giants Inter Milan, now under the management of Frank de Boer. Sparta Prague and Israeli champions Hapoel Be’er Sheva make up Group K.

Other notable groups include Group D with Zenit St Petersburg, AZ Alkmaar, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Irish newcomers Dundalk (pictured below), and Group G with Ajax, Standard Liege, Celta Vigo and Panathinaikos.

The full draw is as follows:
Group A: Manchester United, Fenerbahce, Feyenoord, Zorya Luhansk

Group B: Olympiacos, APOEL, Young Boys, Astana

Group C: Anderlecht, Saint-Etienne, Mainz, Qabala

Group D: Zenit St Petersburg, AZ Alkmaar, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dundalk

Group E: Viktoria Plzen, Roma, Austria Vienna, Astra Giurgiu

Group F: Athletic Bilbao, Genk, Rapid Vienna, Sassuolo

Group G: Ajax, Standard Liege, Celta Vigo, Panathinaikos

Group H: Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga, Gent, Konyaspor

Group I: Schalke, Red Bull Salzburg, Krasnodar, Nice

Group J: Fiorentina, PAOK, Slovan Liberec, Qarabag

Group K: Inter Milan, Sparta Prague, Southampton, Hapoel Be’er Sheva

Group L: Villarreal, Steaua Bucharest, Zurich, Osmanlispor

The group matchdays will begin on Thursday 15th September and will continue throughout October and November before reaching a conclusion on Thursday 8th December.

-90min