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Europa League draw, round of 32: Arsenal to face Ostersund, Celtic up against Zenit

Arsene Wenger will meet Englishman Graham Potter after Arsenal drew Ostersund in the last 32 of the Europa League - Getty Images 
Arsene Wenger will meet Englishman Graham Potter after Arsenal drew Ostersund in the last 32 of the Europa League - Getty Images

 

 

 

12:50PM

What awaits Arsenal

12:38PM

The draw in full

12:36PM

That concludes the draw

What a brilliant story this is. The Englishman Graham Potter, will get the chance to test his side out against Arsenal, who will be pretty content with a trip to Sweden. You can read our interview with Potter from July here

Celtic meanwhile have a tricky looking tie against the Russian side FC Zenit, who were the top scorers in the Europa League group stage. 

12:31PM

And finally...

Marseille vs Braga. 

12:30PM

A trip to Sweden for Wenger

Ostersund, managed by Englishman Graham Potter, vs Arsenal. 

12:29PM

The trip to Kazakhstan that nobody wanted goes to...

FC Astana vs Sporting CP. 

12:28PM

The fourth and final Italian team is out 

Ludogorets vs AC Milan. 

12:27PM

Trip to Romania for Lazio

Steaua Bucharest vs Lazio. 

12:27PM

Just five matches to go now...

Partizan Belgrade vs Plzen.  

12:25PM

The fourth and final Spanish team is out

Real Sociedad vs Salzburg. 

12:25PM

Tricky draw for the final host Lyon

Lyon vs Villarreal. 

12:23PM

Another all-Eastern European affair

Red Star Belgrade vs CSKA Moskow. 

12:22PM

The toughest potential opponents for Arsenal are out of the hat

Napoli vs Leipzig. 

12:21PM

Tough draw for Celtic

Celtic vs Zenit (the top scorers in the group stage).

12:20PM

Eastern European 'derby' 

AEK Athens vs Dynamo Kiev. 

12:19PM

Just one Spanish side left

Spartak Moskow vs Athletic Bilbao. 

12:17PM

Two of the big guns now out of the way

FC Copenhagen vs Atletico Madrid.

12:16PM

Next up

Nice vs Lokomotiv Moskow. 

12:14PM

First up 

Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta. 

12:13PM

We're ready

The draw is about to get under way. A remeinder of the teams in the hat (there's no hat). 

Seeded: AC Milan (ITA), Arsenal (ENG), Atalanta (ITA), Athletic Bilbao (ESP), Atletico Madrid* (ESP), Braga (POR), CSKA Moskow* (RUS), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Lazio (ITA), Leipzig* (GER), Lokomotiv Moskow (RUS), Plzeň (CZE), Salzburg (AUT), Sporting CP* (POR), Villarreal (ESP), Zenit (RUS)

Unseeded: AEK Athens (GRE), Astana (KAZ), Borussia Dortmund* (GER), Celtic* (SCO), Copenhagen (DEN), Red Star Belgrade (SRB), Steaua Bucharest (ROU), Ludogorets (BUL), Lyon (FRA), Marseille (FRA), Napoli* (ITA), Nice (FRA), Östersund (SWE), Partizan Belgrade (SRB), Real Sociedad (ESP), Spartak Moskow* (RUS)

* Transferred from Champions League

Arsene Wenger - Credit: Action Images 
Who will Arsene Wenger's Arsenal draw? Credit: Action Images

12:12PM

Geopolitics

Uefa have made the decision that teams from Ukraine and Russia can't be drawn against each other. 

12:09PM

Looking for Eric

Former Barcelona, Lyon and France defender Eric Abidal enters the stage to assist with the draw. He talks about who good it would be if Olympique Lyonnais made this year's Europa League final in Lyon. 

12:05PM

Nearly there

Uefa's deputy general secretary Girogio Marchetti is on stage to make the draw. 

12:02PM

Heading to Nyon

The draw (or at least the pre-draw chatter) is about to begin. Pedro Pinto, UEFA's director of communications, welcomes the assembled group in one of those generic vaguely American sounding continental European accents that is compulsory for Uefa staff. 

11:58AM

All to play for

Owen Hargreaves says of Arsenal: "Surely the Europa League must be a priority. They're not going to win the league and the top four is by no means a priority."

Jermaine Jenas adds that he expects Arsenal to start prioritising the competition in the second half of the season. 

11:40AM

Who could face who?

In microscopic detail, below are all the possible permutations. 

The main things to know are that the worst possible draw for Arsenal would be Napoli, Borussia Dortmund or Real Sociedad. They could also face Celtic, but can't be drawn against fellow top seeds Atletico Madrid. 

Second seeds Celtic meanwhile could draw Atletico, as well as other major European sides like AC Milan and Athletic Bilbao. 

11:29AM

Greetings

Hi everyone, the Champions League draw is done and dusted - reaction to that can be found here - so attention moves to the Europa League. Arsenal and Celtic are the only British sides left in the draw, which is given a bit of added glamour by the arrival of Champions League drop-outs Atletico Madrid, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund. 

The matches will be played in mid to late February, by which time Arsenal could be lagging in the top four race and decide to play their 'A' team for Europa League games if winning the competition looks like their most likely route to Champions League qualification. Manchester United did something similar last season of course.   

Atletico Madrid - Credit: REUTERS
Atletico Madrid are one of the big names to have dropped into the Europa League Credit: REUTERS

11:12AM

Preview

What is it?

This is the draw for the last-32 stage of the Europa League.

When is it?

The draw will take place on Monday, December 11, 2017.

What time is kick-off?

The balls will be drawn at 12pm (GMT) in Nyon, Switzerland. You can follow all the action right here when this page turns into our live blog.

Which British teams are involved?

Arsenal and Everton were the only two British sides to contest the Europa League group stage, with the former advancing as group winners and the Merseyside club failing to progress.

Arsenal will be one of the seeded sides in Monday's draw, while Celtic - who dropped into the competition after failing to progress from their Champions League group - are unseeded.

Arsenal  - Credit: pa
Arsenal crushed BATE Borisov in their final Europa League group game Credit: pa

Seeded: AC Milan (ITA), Arsenal (ENG), Atalanta (ITA), Athletic Bilbao (ESP), Atletico Madrid* (ESP), Braga (POR), CSKA Moskow* (RUS), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Lazio (ITA), Leipzig* (GER), Lokomotiv Moskow (RUS), Plzeň (CZE), Salzburg (AUT), Sporting CP* (POR), Villarreal (ESP), Zenit (RUS)

Unseeded: AEK Athens (GRE), Astana (KAZ), Borussia Dortmund* (GER), Celtic* (SCO), Copenhagen (DEN), Red Star Belgrade (SRB), Steaua Bucharest (ROU), Ludogorets (BUL), Lyon (FRA), Marseille (FRA), Napoli* (ITA), Nice (FRA), Östersund (SWE), Partizan Belgrade (SRB), Real Sociedad (ESP), Spartak Moskow* (RUS)

* Transferred from Champions League

How does the draw work?

  • There will be two pots of clubs for the round of 32 draw: the 12 group winners and the four best third-ranked teams in the Champions League group stage are seeded.

  • The group winners and four best third-placed teams in the Champions League will be drawn against the 12 group runners-up and the remaining third-placed Champions League sides.

  • The seeded teams will be at home in the second leg.

  • No team can play a club from their Europa League group or a side from the same country. Additionally, teams from Russia and Ukraine cannot be drawn together.

  • Games will be played in principle on Thursdays 15 and 22 February with the exact schedule released after the draw.

Who can the British sides face?

Arsenal: AEK Athens, Astana, Borussia Dortmund, Celtic, Copenhagen, Steaua Bucharest, Ludogorets, Lyon, Marseille, Napoli, Nice, Östersund, Partizan Belgrade, Real Sociedad, Spartak Moscow

Celtic: AC Milan, Arsenal, Atalanta, Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, Braga, CSKA Moskow, Dynamo Kiev, Lazio, Leipzig, Lokomotiv Moskow, Plzeň, Salzburg, Sporting CP, Villarreal, Zenit