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As it happenedended

Europa League last 16 draw: Arsenal to play Rennes while Chelsea paired with Dynamo Kiev

The English sides have learned their last 16 fate

Kishan Vaghela
Friday 22 February 2019 14:51 GMT
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Sarri says Chelsea going through 'difficult moment'

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Chelsea will face a trip to Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine in the last 16 of the Europa League, where Arsenal take on French club Rennes.

Friday's draw in Nyon was not protected by any seeding but teams from Russia and Ukraine were kept apart. Dynamo Kiev were first out against Chelsea.

The first legs of the last-16 ties are set for March 7, when both Premier League teams will be at home.

The returns will taking place on March 14 as the London clubs look to stay on course for the final in Baku. Relive the draw below.


Please allow a moment for the live blog to load.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of today's Europa League last 16 draw.

Vithushan Ehantharajah22 February 2019 10:18

Arsenal and Chelsea remain the only British interests left in this season's Europa League.

Here are the 16 teams that will be drawn come 12pm today:

Arsenal

Benfica

Chelsea

Dinamo Zagreb

Dynamo Kiev

Eintracht Frankfurt

Inter Milan

Krasnodar

Napoli

Rennes

Salzburg

Sevilla

Slavia Prague

Valencia

Villarreal

Zenit

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 10:25

Callum Hudson-Odoi's performance last night against Malmo was one of the talking points before and after Chelsea's 3-0 (5-1) win over the Swedish side at Stamford Bridge.

However, Maurizio Sarri said that he would have to sell another winger for the 18-year-old to feature more regularly, a policy the Italian sees as dangerous.

However, the two-year transfer ban imposed on the Blues by FIFA this morning adds another complication to the teenage prospect's future, who was the subject of bids from Bayern Munich in January.

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 10:34

A reminder of the key dates in the Europa League calendar for the rest of the season:

March 7 - Round of 16 first leg

March 14 - Round of 16 second leg

March 15 - Europa League quarter-final and semi-final draw

April 11 - Quarter-final first leg

April 18 - Quarter-final second leg

May 2 - Semi-final first leg

May 9 - Semi-final second leg

May 29 - Final at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 10:44

The other talking point from the Europa League last night was the return of Mesut Ozil to the Arsenal side in the Gunners' 3-0 (3-1) victory over BATE Borisov.

The former Germany international had not featured for Unai Emery's side since late January, but it was one of Ozil's fellow teammates who urged the manager to give him a more consistent run in the side.

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 10:50

Worth noting that there is no seeding or country protection from the last 16 onwards, so there could be another clash between city rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

However, special dispensation has been given to teams from Russia and the Ukraine, who cannot be drawn against each other as agreed by the UEFA Executive Committee.

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 10:57

Imagine the atmosphere at the Gazprom Arena for the last 16....

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 11:04

Arsenal and Chelsea will arguably need more consistent performances as they head towards the latter stages of the competition, but check out our player ratings from the Emirates and Stamford Bridge last night.

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 11:09

Possibly the most entertaining tie of the round of 32 was the one between Real Betis and Stade Rennes.

After a 3-3 in the first leg in France, the second leg saw the French side pull off a remarkable 3-1 win in Seville to win the tie 6-4 on aggregate, and this man was excellent in both legs.

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 11:17

A man who knows a thing or two about scoring in a Europa League final.

Ivanovic scored in injury time to give Chelsea the trophy six years ago in Amsterdam with a 2-1 win against Benfica.

Kishan Vaghela22 February 2019 11:24

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