SportFootballUEFA Europa LeagueThe draw for the 2026/27 Europa League group stage has been announced, with Premier League teams Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth learning exactly who they will face12:40, 28 Aug 2026Updated 12:55, 28 Aug 2026The Europa League draw has been announced, with teams across the Premier League learning who they will play this season. AFC Bournemouth and Sunderland AFC qualified for the competition as a result of their sixth and seventh-place finishes in the English top flight last term, while Crystal Palace secured their spot by winning the Europa Conference League.‌It looks to be a highly exciting campaign for the Cherries in particular, who have never tasted the thrill of European football in their 127-year history as a club. The Black Cats, meanwhile, will jet across the continent for the first time since 1973.‌However, each club flying the flag for the English top flight will know fine well the trials and tribulations which await them in the Europa League, with a number of Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 powerhouses also vying for glory. Here's how the pots were divvied ahead of the draw...‌Europa League phase draw potsPot 1 -Bayer LeverkusenBenficaJuventusAC MilanLyonAZ AlkmaarOlympiacosReal SociedadMarseillePot 2 -‌FerencvarosViktoria PlzenUnion Saint-GilloiseGNK DinamoRB SalzburgCelticSparta PrahaRennesAnderlechtPot 3 -Sturm GrazLech PoznanCrystal PalaceAFC BournemouthSunderland AFCCeljeJagielloniaOmoniaCelta Vigo‌Pot 4 -TSG HoffenheimBesiktasTorreenseH. Beer-ShevaN.E.COFI CreteLillestromPFC Levski SofiaArarat-ArmeniaThe league phase will see each team play eight different teams once, with the top eight sides in the standings automatically qualifying to the knockout stages of the competition. Teams who finish between ninth and 24th, meanwhile, will have to play a two-legged qualifying match to make the last 16.‌Those who finish between 25th and 36th will be automatically eliminated from the tournament. Each team will face two teams from each of the four pots in the league stage, and cannot face a team from the same country as the one they represent.Europa League draw in fullBayer Leverkusen vs Marseille, Lyon, Salzburg, GNK Dinamo, Celje, Lech Poznan, Besiktas, OFI CreteBenfica vs AZ Alkmaar, Milan, Celtic, Viktoria Plzen, Lech Poznan, Omonia, OFI Crete, NECJuventus vs Real Sociedad, AZ Alkmaar, Rennes, Ferencvaros, Omonia, Celta, NEC, H. Beer-ShevaMilan vs Benfica, Olympiacos, Ferencvaros, Salzburg, Sunderland, Bournemouth, Ararat-Armenia, Levski SofiaLyon vs Leverkusen, Real Sociedad, Union SG, Anderlecht, Crystal Palace, Jagiellionia, Lillestrom, Hoffenheim.AZ Alkmaar vs Juventus, Benfica, GNK Dinamo, Sparta Praha, Sturm Graz, Sunderland, H. Beer-Shiva, Ararat-ArmeniaOlympiacos vs Milan, Marseille, Sparta Praha, Rennes, Jagiellonia, Cerje, Hoffenheim, TorreenseReal Sociedad vs Lyon, Juventus, Viktoria Plzen, Union SG, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Torreense, LillestromMarseille vs Olympiacos, Leverkusen, Anderlecht, Celtic, Celta, Sturm Graz, Levski Sofia, BesiktasFerencvaros vs Juventus, Milan, Viktoria Plzen, Celtic, Celje, Lech Poznan, Torreense, HoffenheimViktoria Plzen vs Benfica, Real Sociedad, Union SG, Ferencvaros, Jagiellonia, Bournemouth, Levski Sofia, LillestromUnion SG vs Real Sociedad, Lyon, Celtic, Viktoria Plzen, Lech Poznan, Celta, H, Beer-Sheva, BesiktasGNK Dinamo vs Leverkusen, AZ Alkmaar, Anderlecht, Rennes, Sturm Graz, Sunderland, NEC, H. Beer-ShevaSalzburg vs Milan, Leverkusen, Sparta Praha, Anderlecht, Crystal Palace, Celje, Ararat-Armenia, Levski SofiaCeltic vs Marseille, Benfica, Ferencvaros, Union SG, Celta, Omonia, Besiktas, TorreenseSparta Praha vs AZ Alkmaar, Olympiacos, Rennes, Salzburg, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Lillestrom, Ararat-ArmeniaRennes vs Olympiacos, Juventus, GNK Dinamo, Sparta Praha, Omonia, Sturm graz, OFI Crete, NECAnderlecht vs Lyon, Marseille, Salzburg, GNK Dinamo, Sunderland, Jagiellonia, Hoffenheim, OFI CreteSturm Graz vs Marseille, AZ Alkmaar, Rennes, GNK Dinamo, Celje, Bournemouth, OFI Crete, HoffenheimLech Poznan vs Leverkusen, Benfica, Ferencvaros, Union SG, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Torreense, OFI CreteCrystal Palace vs Real Sociedad, Lyon, Sparta Praha, Salzburg, Lech Poznan, Jagiellonia, Hoffenheim, BesiktasBournemouth vs Milan, Real Sociedad, Viktoria Plzen, Sparta Praha, Sturm Graz, Celta, H. Beer-Sheva, LillestromSunderland vs AZ Alkmaar, Milan, GNK Dinamo, Anderlecht, Jagiellonia, Lech Poznan, Levski Sofia, TorreenseCelje vs Olympiacos, Leverkusen, Salzburg, Ferencvaros, Omonia, Sturm Graz, NEC, Ararat-ArmeniaJagiellonia vs Lyon, Olympiacos, Anderlecht, Viktoria Plzen, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Ararat-Armenia, Levski SofiaOmonia vs Benfica, Juventus, Celtic, Rennes, Celta, Celje, Besiktas, NECCelta vs Juventus, Marseille, Union SG, Celtic, Bournemouth, Omonia, Lillestrom, H. Beer-ShevaHoffenheim vs Lyon, Olympiacos, Ferencvaros, Anderlecth, Sturm Graz, Crystal Palace, Besiktas, OFI CreteBesiktas vs Marseille, Leverkusen, Union SG, Celtic, Crystal Palace, Omonia, H. Beer Shiva, HoffenheimTorreense vs Olympiacos, Real Sociedad, Celtic, Ferencvaros, Sunderland, Lech Poznan, Ararat-Armenia, LillestromH. Beer-Sheva vs Juventus, AZ Alkmaar, GNK Dinamo, Union SG, Celta, Bournemouth, OFI Crete, BesiktasNEC vs Benfica, Juventus, Rennes, GNK Dinamo, Omonia, Celje, Levski Sofia, Ararat-ArmeniaOFI Crete vs Leverkusen, Benfica, Anderlecht, Rennes, Lech Poznan, Sturm Graz, Hoffenheim, H. Beer-ShevaLillestrom vs Real Sociedad, Lyon, Viktoria Plzen, Sparta Praha, Bournemouth, Celta, Torreense, Levski SofiaLevski Sofia vs Milan, Marseille, Salzburg, Viktoria Plzen, Jagiellonia, Sunderland, Lillestrom, NECArarat-Armenia vs AZ Alkmaar, Milan, Sparta Praha, Salzburg, Celje, Jagiellonia, NEC, Torreense*All matches follow a pattern of home, away, home, away, home, away, home, away.Article continues belowEuropa League scheduleMatchday 1: September 16 and 17, 2026Matchday 2: October 15, 2026Matchday 3: October 22, 2026Matchday 4: November 5, 2026Matchday 5: November 26, 2026Matchday 6: December 10, 2026Matchday 7: January 21, 2027Matchday 8: January 28, 2027Knockout play-offs: February 18 and 25, 2027Round of 16: March 11 and 18, 2027Quarter-finals: April 8 and 15, 2027Semi-finals: April 29 and May 6, 2027Final: May 26, 2027Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. 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