Europa League is back! Here's how the draw pots shape up | OneFootball

Europa League is back! Here's how the draw pots shape up | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: OneFootball

OneFootball

·28 August 2026

Europa League is back! Here's how the draw pots shape up

Article image:Europa League is back! Here's how the draw pots shape up

While the Champions League league phase was already drawn last night, today it’s the Europa League draw’s turn. At 1 p.m., both Bayer Leverkusen and TSG Hoffenheim will find out which teams they will have to face in the upcoming EL season.

But which opponents are even in the running? Here is an overview of all the pots.


OneFootball Videos


Pot 1

Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benfica, Juventus Turin, AC Milan, Olympique Lyon, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiacos Piraeus, Real Sociedad, Olympique Marseille.

Pot 2

Ferencvaros, Union Saint-Gilloise, Viktoria Plzen, Dinamo Zagreb, RB Salzburg, Celtic Glasgow, Sparta Prague, Stade Rennes, RSC Anderlecht.

Pot 3

Sturm Graz, Lech Poznan, Crystal Palace, AFC Bournemouth, Sunderland, NK Celje, Jagiellonia Bialystok, Celta Vigo, Omonia Nicosia.

Pot 4

TSG Hoffenheim, Besiktas, SC Uniao Torreense, Hapoel Be’er Sheva, NEC Nijmegen, OF Iraklion, Lillestrøm SK, Levski Sofia, FC Ararat-Armenia Yerevan.


As in the Champions League, each team will face two teams from each pot. Pot 1 includes several big names such as Benfica, Juve, Milan, and Lyon. While Leverkusen are also in Pot 1, Hoffenheim are placed in the fourth.

The Bundesliga clubs cannot face each other in the league phase, as matches between clubs from the same association are not scheduled. However, it is possible for a team to play against two clubs from the same association (such as Serie A, for example).

The league phase begins on September 16.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.


📸 HAROLD CUNNINGHAM - AFP or licensors

View publisher imprint