When is the Europa League group stage draw? Teams, pots, TV and streaming

Martin Macdonald
Martin Macdonald
  • Updated: 27 Aug 2021 10:03 BST
  • 3 min read
Villarreal win Europa League
© ProShots

The Champions League group stage draw threw up a number of fascinating ties for football fans to sink their teeth into and now it's time for the Europa League to do the very same.

In all, there will be 32 teams in the group stage spread across eight groups.

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This is a reduction from previous years due to the introduction of the Europa Conference League.

Twelve have automatically qualified, 10 will be added via the Europa League play-offs, while a further 10 will be added after failing to qualify for the Champions League in play-offs and qualifiers.

Last season's final saw Villarreal pitted against Manchester United.

After the match ended 1-1 after extra time following goals from Gerard Moreno and Edinson Cavani, the Yellow Submarine claimed the first major trophy in their history on penalties.

When is the Europa League group stage draw?

The group stage draw will take place on August 27 at 12:00 CET (11:00 BST) in Istanbul, Turkey.

Which teams are in the Europa League draw?

The following teams have qualified for the Europa League group stage:

Genk (BEL)

Sparta Prague (CZE)

FC Midtjylland (DEN)

Real Betis (ESP)

Real Sociedad (ESP)

Leicester (ENG)

West Ham (ENG)

Lyon (FRA)

Marseille (FRA)

Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)

Leverkusen (GER)

Napoli (ITA)

Lazio (ITA)

Braga (POR)

Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS)

Spartak Moscow (RUS)

Qualifiers for both the Europa League and Champions League are ongoing.

What are the pots for the Europa League draw?

The 32 clubs are seeded into four groups of eight in accordance with the club coefficient rankings established at the beginning of the season and with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee

Pot 1:

Lyon

Napoli

Leverkusen

Lazio

Pot 1 or 2:

Braga

Eintracht Frankfurt

Leicester

Pot 2 or 3:

Lokomotiv Moscow

Genk

Marseille

West Ham

Real Sociedad

Real Betis

Pot 3 or 4:

Spartak Moscow

Sparta Prague

FC Midtjylland

Where can I watch and stream the draw?

In the United Kingdom, BT Sport 1 will begin coverage of the draw at 10:45 BST.

The draw will also be streamed live via UEFA's official website.

When are the Europa League games taking place?

The games will be played across six matchdays, always on Thursdays.

Matchday 1: 16 September 2021

Matchday 2: 30 September 2021

Matchday 3: 21 October 2021

Matchday 4: 4 November 2021

Matchday 5: 25 November 2021

Matchday 6: 9 December 2021

Will fans be allowed in the stadiums?

Home fans will be allowed in the stadiums.

Away fans are not permitted in the qualifying and playoff rounds, though this may change as we enter the group stage.

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