In the world of sports, movies, music, and technology, there’s always excitement and anticipation in the air, and that’s especially true when it comes to the draws for Europe’s football competitions. So, let’s break it down and get you up to speed on what’s happening with the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League draws.
First up, we’ve got the big guns: the Champions League. Manchester City and Arsenal, representing England, have successfully made it to the knockout stages. Cheers to that! Unfortunately, Newcastle, Manchester United, and Scottish champions Celtic didn’t make the cut. Tough luck, but that’s football for you.
The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League is set to happen on Monday, December 18th, at 11:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland. It’s like football’s version of Christmas morning.
Now, here’s the scoop on how this draw works: Each group winner will be seeded and drawn against a team that finished second in another group. No love for clubs from the same country or those who were in the same group together. The first legs of the last 16 will be played on February 13-14 and 20-21, 2024, with the return legs on March 5-6 and 12-13.
The drama doesn’t stop there! The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held together on Friday, March 15th. So, mark your calendars, football fanatics!
Who’s in the Mix?
Wondering who’s in the mix? Well, in the seeded category, we have Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Real Sociedad. On the unseeded side, we’ve got Copenhagen, Inter Milan, Lazio, RB Leipzig, Napoli, Paris St-Germain, Porto, and PSV Eindhoven.
Europa League Excitement
Moving on to the Europa League – it’s another thrilling competition. The draw for the knockout play-off round will take place an hour later than the Champions League draw on December 18th at 12:00 GMT, also in Nyon, Switzerland.
Here’s the lowdown: The runner-ups from the Europa League group stages will be seeded and drawn against teams who finished third in the Champions League group stages. Same rule applies – no countrymates allowed.
The first legs of the play-offs will be played on February 15th, 2024, with the second legs on February 22nd. Then, the draw for the last 16 happens on February 23rd, and the first legs are set for March 7th, with the return legs on March 14th.
Who’s in the Europa League Mix?
The group winners who’ve already secured their spot in the last 16 are Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Brighton, Liverpool, Rangers, Villarreal, Slavia Prague, and West Ham. The seeded teams in the play-offs include Freiburg, Marseille, Qarabag, Rennes, Roma, Sparta Prague, Sporting Lisbon, and Toulouse. On the unseeded side, we’ve got Benfica, Braga, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, Lens, Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Young Boys.
Europa Conference League Extravaganza
Lastly, let’s not forget about the Europa Conference League. The draw for the knockout play-off round will be held on December 18th at 13:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland. Again, no love for clubs from the same country during the draw.
The first legs of the play-offs will be played on February 15th, 2024, and the second legs on February 22nd. The draw for the last 16 will follow on February 23rd, with the first legs kicking off on March 7th and the return legs on March 14th.
Who’s in the Europa Conference League Mix?
Aston Villa, Club Bruges, Fenerbahce, Fiorentina, Lille, Maccabi Tel Aviv, PAOK, and Viktoria Plzen are the group winners in this competition. Seeded teams in the play-offs include Bodo/Glimt, Dinamo Zagreb, Eintracht Frankfurt, Ferencvaros, Gent, Legia Warsaw, Ludogorets, and Slovan Bratislava. Unseeded teams comprise Ajax, Maccabi Haifa, Molde, Olympiacos, Real Betis, Servette, Sturm Graz, and Union Saint-Gilloise.
So there you have it, a sneak peek into the thrilling world of football draws in Europe. Buckle up, folks; it’s going to be an exciting ride for football fans worldwide!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Football Draws
Q: When and where is the Champions League last-16 draw happening?
A: The Champions League last-16 draw will take place on Monday, December 18th, at 11:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland.
Q: How does the Champions League draw work?
A: In the Champions League draw, each group winner will be seeded and paired with a team that finished second in another group. Clubs from the same country and those who were in the same group together cannot be drawn against each other.
Q: When will the last-16 matches be played in the Champions League?
A: The first legs of the last-16 matches are scheduled for February 13-14 and 20-21, 2024, with the return legs set for March 5-6 and 12-13.
Q: Which teams have made it through to the last-16 in the Champions League?
A: The seeded teams in the Champions League last-16 draw are Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Real Sociedad. The unseeded teams include Copenhagen, Inter Milan, Lazio, RB Leipzig, Napoli, Paris St-Germain, Porto, and PSV Eindhoven.
Q: When and where is the Europa League knockout play-off draw happening?
A: The Europa League knockout play-off draw is scheduled for Monday, December 18th, an hour later than the Champions League last-16 draw, at 12:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland.
Q: How does the Europa League draw work?
A: In the Europa League draw, runner-ups from the Europa League group stages will be seeded and paired with teams that finished third in the Champions League group stages. Clubs from the same country cannot be drawn against each other.
Q: When will the Europa League knockout play-off matches be played?
A: The first legs of the Europa League knockout play-off matches are set for February 15, 2024, with the return legs on February 22. The draw for the last 16 will be held on February 23, and the first legs of the last 16 matches are scheduled for March 7, with return legs on March 14.
Q: Which teams have advanced to the last-16 in the Europa League?
A: The teams that have secured a spot in the Europa League last-16 are Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Brighton, Liverpool, Rangers, Villarreal, Slavia Prague, and West Ham.
Q: When and where is the Europa Conference League knockout play-off draw happening?
A: The Europa Conference League knockout play-off draw is set for Monday, December 18th, at 13:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland.
Q: How does the Europa Conference League draw work?
A: Similar to the Europa League, the Europa Conference League draw pairs the eight runners-up from the Europa Conference League group stages with teams that finished third in the Europa League group stages. Clubs from the same country cannot be drawn against each other.
Q: When will the Europa Conference League knockout play-off matches be played?
A: The first legs of the Europa Conference League knockout play-off matches will take place on February 15, 2024, with the return legs on February 22. The draw for the last 16 will be held on February 23, and the first legs of the last 16 matches are scheduled for March 7, with return legs on March 14.
Q: Which teams have advanced to the last-16 in the Europa Conference League?
A: The teams that have advanced to the Europa Conference League last-16 are Aston Villa, Club Bruges, Fenerbahce, Fiorentina, Lille, Maccabi Tel Aviv, PAOK, and Viktoria Plzen.
More about Football Draws
- UEFA Champions League Official Website
- UEFA Europa League Official Website
- UEFA Europa Conference League Official Website
- BBC Sport – Football
- ESPN – Soccer
- The Guardian – Football
- Sky Sports – Football
- Official UEFA Twitter
5 comments
europaleague is underrated, lpool and whu gonna rock it
need more music in this, where’s the tunes?
man, these dates are like forever!
awesome! cant wait for the champs league draw, go arsenal!
more tech in football plz