Europa League draw LIVE: AC Milan and Roma discover fates for play-off round
The Champions League third-place finishers take on the Europa League group stage runners-up in a play-off clash to see which teams will reach the last 16
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The draw for the Europa League play-off round takes place today as the teams who finished second in their groups will take on the clubs dropping down from the Champions League for a spot in the last-16.
There are eight play-offs and the Champions League clubs falling down into the Europa League play-offs include big names like Galatasaray, Benfica and Feyenoord. They will be pitched up against the likes of Sporting, Marseille and Roma.
The Europa League play-off draw decides which club plays which, and the eight winners of those matches will progress to the last-16 draw, where they will join the eight Europa League group winners in the latter knockout stages.
Follow all the updates from the draw below and get the latest betting offers right here:
Champions League more important than Club World Cup says Guardiola
Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola is excited to take his side to Saudi Arabia to participate in the Club World Cup but confirmed that the club’s priorities are on the mainstream competitions including the Champions League.
He said: “The Champions League is more important, absolutely.
“But to play this tournament that we have never played before – you need to be there. And we are going to fly there and see the environment, how it is, and play against Urawa the best as possible to deserve to get to the final.
“Of course, it’s nice. Years ago we could not imagine to be there and we are there.”
Pep Guardiola excited for Club World Cup
Pep Guardiola says he is “very pleased and excited” that Manchester City are taking part in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia over the coming days.
The treble winners go into the tournament after a slump in results, dropping points in five of their last six Premier League games to leave them fourth in the table.
Playing Club World Cup matches on Tuesday and Friday, they do not return to league action until December 27, by which time there could be a considerable gap between them and the top of the table.
Guardiola siad: “We love to go to play the (Club) World Cup. To go there you have to win the Champions League. I’m very pleased and excited to go there and try to win it, of course.
“The schedule is what it is, the results are what they are and you have to accept it.”
Another cruel comeback sees Newcastle perish in group of death
It was the sequel Newcastle United did not want, the second cruel comeback in as many Champions League games. For some 45 minutes, including half-time, they could savour the sight of a table that showed them in second, permitting them to imagine a date with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the knockout stages. And then, little more than half an hour, they were ejected from Europe altogether.
Christian Pulisic’s equaliser threatened to condemn them to the Europa League. Samuel Chukwueze’s winner instead meant that spot goes to AC Milan. The group of death went down to the dying minutes, but Newcastle have perished. They had savoured a return to Europe but there will be no continental trips for them in the spring of 2024.
Another cruel comeback sees Newcastle perish in group of death
Newcastle 1-2 AC Milan: The Magpies were left to wonder what might have been as a harsh defeat knocked them out of Europe entirely
The latest centurion
On the opening matchday of this year’s campaign Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller became just the third player in history to record 100 Champions League wins (in 143 games).
Cristiano Ronaldo (115 wins in 183 games) and Iker Casillas (101 wins in 177 games) are the other two players to reach the landmark.
Bayern went unbeaten through the group stages and look like potential challengers for to claim the European title this year.
A surprise entry
FC Copenhagen have qualified from their Champions League group for the second time, having previously done so in 2010/11.
They are the only Danish club to have finished in the top two in a Champions League group having beaten out Manchester United and Galatasaray to finish behind Bayern Munich in Group A.
They are in the unseeded pot and could come up against Manchester City or Arsenal in the last-16.
How Manchester United’s worst-ever Champions League campaign unravelled — and who is to blame
As the final whistle blew on Manchester United’s European campaign, the cast list on the pitch included Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo, Facundo Pellestri and Hannibal Mejbri. One represents the past, another may be the future, two are likely to be footnotes in any account of United. The understudies – in some cases, the unknowns – representing a club who have spent £400m in 18 months, some £1.5bn in 11 years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired were the unwitting indications of how plans went awry. They ended up beaten by Bayern Munich with the kind of line-up likelier to be found in a pre-season friendly.
In different ways, it had gone wrong for their supposed superiors. Marcus Rashford’s Champions League season was curtailed early: United were 2-0 up against FC Copenhagen, looking likely to qualify when his accidental stamp on Elias Jelert brought a sending off then a suspension, before illness ruled him out of the Bayern match. For Casemiro, too, his final contribution was a red card, sent off in the second game against Galatasaray, the victim of one of Andre Onana’s blunders, banned and then injured thereafter. So much for the idea a multiple Champions League winner could have the same effect at Old Trafford. His sidekick in success at Real Madrid, Raphael Varane was an unused substitute when United conceded three goals in Istanbul to take their destiny out of their own hands.
How Man Utd’s worst-ever Champions League campaign unravelled — and who is to blame
United finished bottom of a group that contained FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray after a series of shambolic defensive performances - but there is plenty of blame to go around
What are the rules of the draw?
The group winners are seeded and will be drawn against one of the eight runners-up.
Teams from the same countries cannot play each other in the last 16, and you cannot be drawn against a team you’ve already played in the group stages.
The group winners will be at home for the second leg.
What will the last-16 fixtures take place?
First legs: 13/14/20/21 February 2024
Second legs: 5/6/12/13 March 2024
Champions League last-16 draw
Manchester City and Arsenal are the only two Premier League representatives in the Champions League knockout rounds after both teams finished top of their groups.
Manchester United and Newcastle were both eliminated from Europe entirely due to fourth place finishes.
City and Arsenal’s positions are group winners mean they will be placed in the seeded pots and should, in theory, end up with a favourable draw for the last-16.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments