The 2024/25 UEFA Europa League group stage draw is done, and it has thrown up some intriguing matches involving English, Scottish and Turkish teams. The draw has produced a clash between Manchester United and former manager Jose Mourinho, who is now in charge of Fenerbahce. Mourinho, who led United to the Europa League title in 2017, will be hoping to get one over his former club. Rangers will face both Manchester United and Tottenham, while Tottenham will host Roma and travel to Galatasaray.
The Europa League, along with the Europa Conference League, will see a new format with a 36-team league phase replacing the traditional group stage. In the new format, each team will face eight different opponents in the league stage, playing four home games and four away games, a shift from the previous six matches against three teams played on a home-and-away basis. As a result, the teams are drawn against each other rather than into groups.
The Big Games
The biggest talking point of the draw is the return of Jose Mourinho to Manchester United. The Portuguese manager is a familiar face at Old Trafford, having previously managed the club between 2016 and 2018. He will be hoping to lead his new team Fenerbahce to a victory against his former club.
The other big clash to watch out for is the game between Rangers and Tottenham. The two sides have met only once before, in 1962, when Tottenham won 8-4 on aggregate in the European Cup Winners Cup.
Full List of Matches
Here is a full list of the matches that have been drawn for the group stage of the Europa League:
Manchester United:
- Rangers (H)
- Porto (A)
- PAOK (H)
- Fenerbahce (A)
- Bodo/Glimt (H)
- Viktoria Plzen (A)
- FC Twente (H)
- FCSB (A)
Tottenham:
- Roma (H)
- Rangers (A)
- AZ Alkmaar (H)
- Ferencvaros (A)
- Qarabag (H)
- Galatasaray (A)
- Elfsborg (H)
- Hoffenheim (A)
Rangers:
- Tottenham (H)
- Manchester United (A)
- Lyon (H)
- Olympiacos (A)
- Union SG (H)
- Malmo (A)
- FCSB (H)
- Nice (A)
The top eight teams in the league will progress directly to the round of 16, while the teams finishing between ninth and 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16. Teams ranked 25-36 will be eliminated from all competitions.
The fixture dates will be released on Saturday, August 31.
What's Next
The Europa League will continue to follow its existing format from the last 16 onwards. Each team will play a minimum of eight matches - instead of six - matches. The league phase will now run until the end of January instead of ending before Christmas.
The 2024/25 Europa League final will take place on May 21, 2025, at the Estadio de San Mames in Bilbao, Spain.
It's Not Over Yet!
The draw for the Europa Conference League took place after the Europa League draw. Chelsea, Hearts, the New Saints, Larne, and Shamrock Rovers are all included in the 36-team draw. This new format of the Europa League is sure to keep fans on the edge of their seats and ensure some exciting encounters in the coming months.
