Europa League group stage draw in full as Liverpool and West Ham learn fate
Liverpool have been handed a favourable draw for their return to the Europa League this season.
The Reds lost in the Europa League final to Sevilla in Jurgen Klopp's first season back in 2015/16 before a post-match speech from their manager set the wheels in motion for their remarkable success that was to come. Liverpool have not been out of the Champions League since, but a disappointing campaign last term pits them back in the Europa League this season.
They will kick-off their campaign with a group stage they will be expected to dominate after being placed in Group E alongside Austrian outfit LASK, French side Toulouse and Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise.
Joining them in the group stages are Europa Conference League winners West Ham, who ended their long wait for a trophy with their historic triumph against Fiorentina in Prague back in June. The Hammers will also be fairly content with the outcome of the draw after being pitted in Group A with Greek side Olympiakos, Bundesliga club Frieburg and Serbian minnows Backa Topola, who are making their first appearance in the competition.
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Last season's Premier League surprise package Brighton are also competing in European football for the first time in the club's history after Roberto De Zerbi's side landed a sixth-place finish. But they start with a tricky Group C containing Dutch giants Ajax, French club Marseille and Greek side AEK Athens.
Among the other big sides in the draw include Scottish giants Rangers, Jose Mourinho's Roma, Villarreal, as well as Bayer Leverkusen, who are managed by former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso.
Liverpool were drawn in Pot 1 along with all of those sides so avoided facing them in the group stage, which gets under way from September 21 and will conclude with the final round of fixtures on December 14.
The teams who finish third in their Champions League groups will then enter the tournament for a qualifying round with the runners-up from the Europa League groups for a place in the last-16.
Winners of the Europa League groups will automatically progress to the knockout stage, with the qualifiers taking place in February and the last-16 in March. The final is scheduled for May 24 in Dublin.
Europa League Group Stage draw
Group A
West Ham
Olympiakos
Freiburg
TSC Backa Topola
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Group B
Ajax
Marseille
Brighton
AEK Athens
Group C
Rangers
Real Betis
Sparta Prague
Aris Limassol
Group D
Atalanta
Sporting
Sturm Graz
Rakow
Group E
Liverpool
LASK
Union Saint-Gilloise
Toulouse
Group F
Villarreal
Rennes
Maccabi Haifa
Panathinaikos
Group G
Roma
Slavia Prague
Sheriff Tiraspol
Servette
Group H
Bayer Leverkusen
Qarabag
Molde
Hacken
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