AC Milan will face Benfica, Sunderland and Bournemouth in the Europa League, while Bayer Leverkusen meet French sides Marseille and Lyon among their eight opponents.
Three-times winners Juventus have a more favourable draw in contrast, with Real Sociedad arguably their toughest opponents alongside Rennes, Omonia Nicosia, NEC Nijmegen, AZ Alkmaar, Ferencváros, Celta Vigo and Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Seven-times European champions Milan, who have never won the UEFA Cup/Europa League, take on Olympiacos, Ferencváros, Salzburg, Levski Sofia and debutants Ararat-Armenia in addition to hosting Benfica and Sunderland while travelling to the English south coast to face Bournemouth.
Germany's Hoffenheim, who like Leverkusen will be hoping to make the final on home soil in Frankfurt on May 26, also host Lyon, Ferencváros, Sturm Graz and Beşiktaş while visiting Olympiacos, Anderlecht, Crystal Palace and OFI Crete.
The Graz game will be emotional for Hoffenheim's Austrian boss Christian Ilzer, who won the double in Austria with Graz in 2024 before moving to Germany.
The super computer spewed out the fixtures on Friday for the league phase at the draw in Monaco, presided over by Eintracht Frankfurt's 2022 Europa League-winning captain Sebastian Rode.
Salzburg head to LeverkusenLeverkusen, the 1988 winners and 2024 runners-up, will also take on Dinamo Zagreb, Salzburg, Lech Poznan, Beşiktaş, Slovenia's NK Celje and OFI Crete.
The full fixture list for Europe's second-tier competition and order of the matches will be announced by Sunday at the latest.
The first matchday is September 16 and 17, with the league phase running until January 28 before the knock-out stages take over.
Ararat-Armenia, who got through qualifying to be Armenia's first Europa League entrants, will travel to the San Siro for a special meeting with Milan and must also go to Portuguese Cup winners Torreense, who are from the second tier.
English trio Bournemouth, Sunderland and Conference League champions Palace are under pressure knowing the last two winners of the competition came from England.
European debutants Bournemouth, now bossed by German Marco Rose, also have Real Sociedad away among their hardest games as well as welcoming Milan.
Holders Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League this season and the same prize will await this term's Europa League victors.
Leave a Comment