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UEFA Europa League opposition analysis: everything worth knowing about AC Milan & the rest

 The draw for the UEFA Europa League league phase took place in Monaco this afternoon. Our boys will face eight big-name teams this coming autumn and in January. We’ve taken a first look at our opponents and found that this group of eight offers something for everyone!

AC Milan (ITA)

The Rossoneri are back in European competition after a one-year hiatus. Former coach Massimiliano Allegri led the squad from the fashion capital to fifth place in Serie A last season. However, the Milan side — who were last champions in 2021/22 — lacked a the style and composure to meet lofty expectations. Consequently, Ruben Amorim was brought in to steer this collective of artists — with an estimated market value of €557 million — back to the top of the table. One of the few workhorses in the squad is defensive leader Strahinja Pavlovic, who played for us in the 2022/23 Champions League group stage when our boys managed to snatch an impressive 1-1 draw against AC Milan at home.

Sparta Prague (CZE)

We have already faced the Maroon-and-Whites at the Champions League level (2024/25), and now we are set for a reunion. The Czech runners-up have strengthened their squad for the occasion: Jonatan Braut Brunes — a cousin of Erling Haaland — has been playing up front for the team from the Golden City for a few weeks now, becoming the club's second-most expensive signing in history with a reported transfer fee of six million euros. The Prague side last appeared in the UEFA Europa League three years ago and back then, they went as far as the Round of 16 before losing against Liverpool

Crystal Palace (ENG)

The London club experienced the most successful period in their history under former manager Oliver Glasner — who parted ways with the team in the summer —celebrating their first major trophies (excluding lower-division titles) with an FA Cup victory, an FA Community Shield triumph and most recently the UEFA Conference League following a 1–0 win over Rayo Vallecano — achieved in their very first European campaign. Now, the team that finished 15th in the Premier League last season are aiming to make their mark on their debut UEFA Europa League appearance.

Ararat-Armenia (ARM)

The Armenian champions are one of the more unexpected names on this list - after all, the club founded in 2017 is appearing in a major European competition for the first time. They achieved this feat with a distinctly Latin flair - the squad features five Portuguese and four Brazilian players, and the team is managed by a Portuguese coach, Tulipa. The most valuable player in a squad devoid of big names is the goalkeeper: Joao Bravim, a 1.92-meter-tall Brazilian who has spent the majority of his career in Portugal.

Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

The Werkself also well-versed in the Champions League, not least due to their first encounter with us in the 2024/25 season. Kerim Alajbegovic’s former club have advanced to the Champions League Round of 16 in each of the past two years. Prior to that, they made the Europa League final - during a season in which they remained completely unbeaten in their domestic league. Most recently, Janis Blaswich and his teammates managed a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga.

RSC Anderlecht (BEL)

Majeed Ashimeru and his team-mates are currently harking back to the glory days of RSC Anderlecht. This marks their third European campaign since 2019, and the squad from Lotto Park finished the previous season in a respectable fourth place. A recent highlight was their run to the quarter-finals of the 2022/23 UEFA Conference League, while the Violets last won the Belgian championship in the 2016/17 season.

NK Celje (SLO)

Their dream of reaching the Champions League ended in a real nail-biter just a few days ago, with Slovenia’s top club falling to Slovan Bratislava in extra time. Celje - currently unbeaten after four matches in the Prva Liga - have established themselves as a regular fixture on the European stage. They have made it past the group stage in the UEFA Conference League twice in recent times. One of Slovenia’s oldest cities also has plenty to offer traveling fans: the castle of the same name (Celje Castle) towers over the old town, and the Savinja and Voglajna rivers converge here.

Levski Sofia (BUL)

The Bulgarians are also disappointed Champions League hopefuls - their journey ended in the play-offs against AEK Athens - but the prospect of their first appearance in a European competition since the 2010/11 season should turn that frustration into excitement. Levski Sofia had spent a long time playing catch-up, but their recent league title win finally broke Ludogorets' 14-year dominance! This immediately brings back memories, as we previously faced the team from the capital in the 2009/10 season as back then, our Red Bulls won both matches 1–0 — a promising omen for the reunion!

Ticket info to follow soon!

Four-match packages for our UEFA Europa League home matches will be available soon. Premium season ticket holders will have their seats automatically booked at a 20% discount.

Details regarding the ticketing process and subsequent sales phases will follow shortly.

The exact match dates will be announced by UEFA this weekend

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How the league phase in the UEFA Europa League works

A league format has replaced the group stage in UEFA competitions for the past few years. In the UEFA Europa League, just like in the Champions League, each team is drawn against eight different opponents, playing four home and four away matches.

At the end of the eight rounds, an overall table is formed for all 36 participating teams. The top eight teams then advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing 9th to 24th compete in a play-off round with home and away legs for the remaining knockout stage spots.

Further changes compared to the previous format: after elimination, there is no longer any relegation to the UEFA Conference League, as was previously the case for third-placed teams in the group stage. Additionally, the league now runs until the end of January.