The draw for the knockout playoff round of the new-look UEFA Europa League is upon us.
But who is taking part in this draw? Why are the league phase positions so important? And when is the next draw?
Here’s how it’s going to work.
When is the draw for the knockout playoff round?
The draw for the knockout playoff round will take place on Friday at 7 a.m. ET / midday U.K. at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
Which clubs are in Friday’s draw?
Only the 16 teams that finish in positions 9 to 24 will have an interest.
The clubs who finish in the top eight go directly through to the round of 16.
Clubs finishing 25th to 36th are eliminated.
Does it matter where you finish in the table?
Yes, because the league placings create the knockout bracket. Unlike in previous seasons, where there would be open draws, paths will be set after this phase has been completed.
The new “seeding” system means the highest-placed teams can’t face each other until the latter stages of the knockout round.
For instance, if we look at the table right now, Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt are in first and second, and they would not be able to play each other until the final. The teams in third and fourth — currently Athletic Club and Manchester United — can’t play Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt until the semifinals.
Finishing seventh or eighth could be seen as creating a more difficult path than being 11th or 12th, as it would mean facing first or second in the quarterfinals. Teams in 11th and 12th avoid this until the semifinals, but do have to play an extra round.
How does the knockout draw work?
In the knockout playoff round draw, teams are paired by their final position, in order (e.g. 9 and 10, 11 and 12, etc).
Of each pair, teams will be drawn into opposite halves of the bracket. For instance, 15th (Union St.-Gilloise), 16th (Ajax) will split off and cannot play each other until the final (which is the case for all pairs).
Before the draw, paired teams will have two possible opponents. If we take Union St.-Gilloise and Ajax again, they will be drawn to play either 17th (PAOK) or 18th (Real Sociedad).
The eight unseeded teams are drawn first into a position in the bracket. This starts with 23rd and 24th, and moves down to 17th and 18th. In each case the first team drawn goes into the first half of the bracket (let’s say PAOK), meaning the other club in the pair (which would be Real Sociedad) goes into the second half.
The draw then moves on to the seeded teams, continuing with 15th and 16th down to ninth and 10th. Again, the first team drawn goes into the first half of the bracket (so if that’s Ajax, they’d be playing PAOK) — which automatically creates a knockout playoff round fixture — and so on with the other paired team into the second half (which makes Union St.-Gilloise vs. Real Sociedad).
The seeded clubs will play the second leg at home.
So there’s no country protection?
Correct. Clubs from the same country can play each other from the knockout playoff round onward.
It’s also possible to draw one of the eight teams you’ve already faced — including the most recent opponents from Matchday 8.
What dates are the knockout playoff round?
First legs: Feb. 13
Second legs: Feb. 20
So what about the top eight clubs?
After the knockout playoff round draw, the teams who finish inside the top eight will still have four possible opponents.
For instance, third (Athletic Club) and sixth (Man United) would still be able to play any of 13th, 14th, 19th or 20th (Rangers, AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Elfsborg). This is because Athletic and Man United could yet be drawn into either half, but only into the specific paths for those fixtures.
Once the knockout playoff round is complete, and two of those clubs have been knocked out, Athletic and Man United would have two possible opponents remaining: the winners of the knockout playoff round ties.
When is the draw for the round of 16?
The round of 16 draw then takes place on Friday, Feb. 21, when Athletic and Man United would simply be drawn into opposite halves of the bracket — which would create a fixture against one of the winners of the ties involving Rangers, AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Elfsborg.
The teams placed first to eighth are seeded and will be at home in the second leg.
First legs: March 6
Second legs: March 13
The knockout bracket is now set through to the final.
Who gets home advantage in the quarterfinals and semifinals?
There will be one more draw, straight after the round of 16 is set, to determine the home teams in the second leg for the quarterfinals and semifinals. This is not done on league phase seeding.
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