Europa League draw LIVE! Barcelona learn knockout playoff fate, plus Tottenham in Conference

Europa League and Europa Conference League knockout playoff draw - LIVE!

The Europa League group stage wrapped up on Thursday night and all that is left this side of Christmas is to find out who will play who in the first knockout round when the competition resumes next year.

If the concept of a “knockout playoff draw” sounds unfamiliar then that’s because, well, it is. A new addition to this year’s tournaments, rather than start the knockouts with a round of 32, the group winners - including West Ham - have advanced straight to the last-16 of the competition.

In the playoff round, Barcelona will face Napoli in what looks to be a great tie, while Rangers have been given an extremely difficult task against Borussia Dortmund.

In the Europa Conference League draw, things are complicated slightly by the fact that Tottenham’s final group match, against Rennes, was called off by Covid. That match will not be played and a decision on the result is still to be played.

Either Tottenham or Vitesse will face Rapid Vienna, while Leicester have been drawn against Randers and Celtic will play Bodo/Glimt for a spot in the last-16.

You can follow the draw live with Standard Sport’s blog below...

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Key Points

• Start time: Europa League 12pm, Europa Conference League 1pm

• Europa League pots in full

• Barcelona draw Napoli in Europa League knockout playoff

• Rangers to face Borussia Dortmund

• Europa Conference League pots in full

• Leicester face Randers while Tottenham would play Rapid Vienna

Knockout playoff round in full

13:32 , Matt Verri

13:23 , Matt Verri

Leicester at home to Randers then in the first leg, before travelling to Denmark for the reverse fixture. Celtic up against Bodo/Glimt, who beat Jose Mourinho’s Roma side 6-1 in the group stage.

And if Tottenham do play in the playoff round, they will face Rapid Vienna. Their participation is still to be decided.

Rapid Vienna vs Tottenham OR Vitesse

13:22 , Matt Verri

Sparta Prague vs Partizan Belgrade

13:22 , Matt Verri

Celtic vs Bodo/Glimt

13:19 , Matt Verri

Leicester vs Randers

13:18 , Matt Verri

Midtjylland vs PAOK

13:17 , Matt Verri

Fenerbahce vs Slavia Prague

13:16 , Matt Verri

PSV vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv

13:15 , Matt Verri

Marseille vs Qarabag

13:14 , Matt Verri

13:11 , Matt Verri

Here we go then, it’s time for the Europa Conference League knockout playoff draw.

13:09 , Matt Verri

Lorik Cana is the special guest - he’s Albania’s all-time record appearance holder.

Final of this competition will be held in Albania in May... if Leicester decide to take it even vaguely seriously, you’d imagine they have a good chance of being there.

13:02 , Matt Verri

UEFA have had a set change for the third time this afternoon, now decked out in the green and black of the Europa Conference League.

We know the formula by now. Introduction, montage, more talk, guest comes and talks again, draw explanation and then the actual draw itself.

Afraid we are only on step one at the moment.

Brendan Rodgers’ thoughts on the competition

12:56 , Matt Verri

“I have to be honest - I don’t even know what the competition is in all fairness. I was focused on the Europa League and winning this group, or at the very least finishing second.

“So with all due respect to the competition, I’m not sure what it is. I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.”

Leicester will face one of the sides that finished second in the Europa Conference League group stage.

12:47 , Matt Verri

About 15 minutes to go until Tottenham, Leicester and Celtic find out their ties for the knockout playoff round, even if there’s a decent chance Spurs won’t play again in the competition.

This won’t be the last UEFA draw of the day... the Champions League draw will take place again after a technical error the first time around.

Tottenham and Vitesse both included

12:41 , Matt Verri

Both Tottenham and Vitesse will be in the draw, with the runners-up from Group G still to be determined after Spurs’ final group game against Rennes last Thursday was postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the London club.

UEFA have said the match will not be rescheduled because a new date that works for both clubs could not be found before the December 31 deadline, and the result will now be decided by UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body in the coming days.

Spurs need a win to pip Dutch club Vitesse to second place in the group and enter a play-off round against a third-place side from the Europa League, to reach the knockouts of UEFA’s new tertiary European competition.

Attention turns to the Europa Conference League

12:36 , Matt Verri

So then, focus turns to the third European draw of the day. The Europa Conference League knockout playoff draw.

Teams that finished second in the group stages, up against those who finishes third in their Europa League groups and have dropped down. Here are the pots:

Seeded

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Partizan

Bodo/Glimt

Randers

Slavia Prague

PAOK

Tottenham OR Vitesse

Qarabag

Unseeded

Sparta Prague

PSV

Leicester

Fenerbace

Marseille

Midtjylland

Celtic

Rapid Vienna

Full Europa League draw

12:28 , Matt Verri

12:26 , Matt Verri

A reminder that West Ham are already through to the Europa last-16, so they weren’t in this draw as they skip the playoff round.

The draw for the last-16 will take place on February 25. A couple of months away from European action for the Hammers.

12:23 , Matt Verri

So that completes the draw for the knockout playoff stage. First legs on February 17, and the reverse fixtures a week later on February 24.

Barcelona vs Napoli. Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers.

Those are the big standout ties.

Porto vs Lazio

12:20 , Matt Verri

Sheriff Tiraspol vs Braga

12:20 , Matt Verri

Borussia Dortmund vs Rangers

12:19 , Matt Verri

Zenit vs Real Betis

12:18 , Matt Verri

Barcelona vs Napoli

12:17 , Matt Verri

That’s a great tie... not sure Xavi will be thinking that though.

RB Leipzig vs Real Sociedad

12:16 , Matt Verri

Atalanta vs Olympiakos

12:15 , Matt Verri

Sevilla vs Dinamo Zagreb

12:14 , Matt Verri

12:11 , Matt Verri

Here we go, the Europa League knockout playoff draw is about to begin!

12:08 , Matt Verri

Andres Palop is the special guest to help with the Europa League draw. Won this competition three times, once with Villarreal and Sevilla.

We’re getting closer to the draw actually happening, I promise...

12:02 , Matt Verri

The draw build-up has begun, as UEFA let us know how everything works and who the teams in the pots are.

We’ll be off and running soon, once we get the highlights and montages out of the way.

11:58 , Matt Verri

Should get plenty of intriguing ties in this draw, which is starting in a couple of minutes.

Atalanta, Barcelona, Dortmund and RB Leipzig among the teams dropping down from the Champions League. The competition could have a very strong look to it in the latter stages.

11:54 , Matt Verri

About five minutes until the Europa League knockout playoff draw is scheduled to get underway. We’ll then have full coverage of the Europa Conference League draw at 13:00 GMT.

The fun is endless at UEFA headquarters today...

European adventure continues for Sheriff

11:50 , Matt Verri

FC Sheriff had some fun in the Champions League, and now their attention turns to the Europa League.

The Moldovan side stunned Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, beating them 2-1. Seven points in the group stage was an impressive performance from Sheriff.

They’ll face one of the teams that finished second in their group in the Europa League.

11:44 , Matt Verri

So eight ties to be drawn this afternoon in the Europa League. Those who comes out on top will then go through to the last-16 in March, where they will face the competition’s group winners - that includes West Ham.

New surroundings for Barcelona

11:38 , Matt Verri

Xavi and Barcelona are not used to being here. Far more familiar being in the Champions League draw, which took place earlier today.

The last time they played in this competition was the 2003/04 season. Napoli, Lazio... and even Rangers are potential opponents for the Spanish side.

Draw rules

11:13 , Malik Ouzia

The only significant draw rule is that teams from the same country cannot play one another at this stage.

Since the seeded and unseeded teams have played in different competitions up to this stage, there are no concerns about teams meeting having already played each other.

Where are West Ham?

11:03 , Matt Verri

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that West Ham are not among those teams listed in the draw this afternoon - and nor are the other seven Europa League group winners.

Under a new format this year, those teams go straight through to the last-16, while the second-placed teams are each left to face a side that finished third in their Champions League group.

Europa League draw pots in full

10:52 , Malik Ouzia

Seeded teams

• Betis (ESP)

• Braga (POR)

• Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

• Lazio (ITA)

• Napoli (ITA)

• Olympiacos (GRE)

• Rangers (SCO)

• Real Sociedad (ESP)

Unseeded teams

• Atalanta (ITA)

• Barcelona (ESP)

• Dortmund (GER)

• Leipzig (GER)

• Porto (POR)

• Sevilla (ESP)

• Sheriff (MDA)

• Zenit (RUS)

How to watch the draw

10:43 , Malik Ouzia

TV channel: The draw will be broadcast live on BT Sport.

Live stream: The Uefa website and BT Sport website will stream the draw online.

Good morning!

10:35 , Malik Ouzia

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of this afternoon’s Europa League and Europa Conference League knockout playoff draws.