Europa League draw as it happened

Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle and Liverpool in the draw for the last 32

Draw for the Europa League...

Napoli or Viktoria Plzen v BATE Borisov or Fenerbache

Leverkusen or Benfica v Dynamo Kiev or Bordeaux

Anzhi Makhachkala or Hannover v Newcastle or Metalist

Stuttgart or Genk v Monchengladbach or Lazio

Tottenham or Lyon v Inter Milan or Cluj

Levante or Olympiakos v Atletico Madrid or Rubin Kazan

Basel or Dniprov v Zenit St Petersburg or Liverpool

Ajax or Steaua Bucharest v Sparta Prague or Chelsea

Click here to see all the teams and seedings for today's draw

Which British team will advance furthest? Take part in our poll

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:49:28 PM

There are two pots at this stage of the competition. In pot one go the 12 group winners (including Liverpool) and the four best-performing Champions League sides. They will face, away leg first, the remaining 12 runners up from the group stage (Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur) and the other four Champions League sides. At the last-32 stage, no side can play a team that they faced in the Europa League group stage or one from their own country.

For Chelsea they could face Madrid, but it will be Atletico. They could face Milan, but it will be Internazionale. Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St Petersburg and Ajax are also potential opponents. Liverpool could end up, among others, with either Inter or Napoli, who boast the tournament's top scorer in Edinson Cavani.

Newcastle would probably prefer to avoid any of the fallen Champions League teams – Olympiakos, Benfica or Cluj. Those three are potential opponents for Tottenham as well, but at least the Spurs manager, Andre Villas-Boas, knows that, unlike Alan Pardew, he will not be running the risk of Lazio being drawn against his side today.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 12:39:15 PM
Seeded teams (12 group winners + four best Champions League drop-outs):

Liverpool, Viktoria Plzen, Fenerbahce, Bordeaux, Steaua Bucharest, Dnipro, Genk, Rubin Kazan, Lyons, Lazio, Metalist Kharkiv, Hannover, Chelsea, CFR Cluj, Olympiakos, Benfica.

Unseeded teams (12 group runners-up + four worst drop-outs):

Anzhi Makhachkala, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Newcastle, Stuttgart, Napoli, Basle, Internazionale, Sparta Prague, Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen, Levante, Zenit St Petersburg, BATE Borisov, Dynamo Kiev, Ajax.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 12:40:33 PM
by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 12:47:42 PM
Roman Abramovich in the Europa League. Chelsea on ITV4, not even Channel 5. Today the Champions League exit hits home hardest. At 10.30am the draw for Europe's elite competition tookplace in Nyon. Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich found out who awaits them in the knockout stage of Europe's top competition.

At 1pm Chelsea, the reigning champions of Europe, will find out where they will head in the Europa League, other than the harsh reality of the Champions League's shadows.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 12:50:17 PM
Rafa Benitez has had some round of fixtures to deal with since he took over from Roberto Di Matteo last month. The Champions League, the Premier League, the Carling Cup, the FA Cup, the Club World Cup and the Europa League in the second week in February, will test his patience as much as the supporters still questioning his appointment.

Chelsea are one of eight teams dumped from the Champions League into the Europa League at the final 32 stage.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 12:50:40 PM
There are a real mix of teams for today's draw. These are the best/worst case scenarios for the Premier League quartet...

Chelsea: Basle/Atletico Madrid

Liverpool: BATE Borisov/Internazionale

Newcastle: Genk/Lyons

Tottenham: Bordeaux/Dnipro

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 12:52:57 PM
Chelsea are second favourites behind Atletico Madrid. Atletico (and rumoured target Falcao) are possible opponents for Chelsea and Liverpool.

by Standard Sport 12/20/2012 12:54:36 PM
If you are a Man United or Arsenal fan, today was Champions League draw. If you are a Man City or Chelsea fan, today is thursday...

by Huzaifah Patel via twitter 12/20/2012 12:57:24 PM
Chelsea vs atletico madrid....#ISaidIt lol

by risingstar_brad via twitter 12/20/2012 12:57:44 PM
The draw will be kicking off shortly - tell us who you would like to see your team up against in the last 32 by commenting above...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 12:58:26 PM
I want liverpool to win the Europa league. #TeamGerrard

by HamasFighter via twitter 12/20/2012 12:59:13 PM
Tottenham are currently the favourites to progress furthest in the Europa League according to our poll. Do you agree?

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:00:37 PM
How can Spurs, Inter, Anzhi, Leverkusen, Ajax, Stuttgart, Athletio Madrid and Zenit all be unseeded for Europa draw?! #Ridonkulous

by Langnam Style via twitter 12/20/2012 1:01:04 PM
It's pretty depressing going from cl to europa league, but it's better than nothing. I want spurs #benfica

by FabiooPV via twitter 12/20/2012 1:01:08 PM
The draw is very close to starting - Uefa just going through their usual nonsense of montages over explaining.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:02:56 PM
Come on Newcastle get a good draw!

by Steeley99 via twitter 12/20/2012 1:04:16 PM
I want chelsea vs Internazional

by Araya Tazebe 12/20/2012 1:04:21 PM
Europa league draw time!

by Mustafa__Hersi via twitter 12/20/2012 1:05:00 PM
They're still dragging it out in Nyon - the Europa League draw will be kicking off soon though (I promise).

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:05:52 PM
Just a reminder - teams from the same country or who were in the same group cannot face each other - so no re-run of Chelsea v Liverpool (yet)

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:07:24 PM
It looks like the balls are about to start being picked out of the bowls. Stand by...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:08:39 PM
Patrick Kluivert is taking care of the Europa League draw... his former teams Ajax and Newcastle are in the hat...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:11:05 PM
The 'Uefa competitions director' is now boring us - get on with the draw!

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:12:57 PM
Europa league draw on now, c'mon Liverpool give us a good draw

by Paul_Mulhern via twitter 12/20/2012 1:13:21 PM
The Europa League draw is underway - good luck Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle and Liverpool...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:16:37 PM
BATE Borisov will play Fenerbahce.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:17:56 PM
Internazionale are out the hat. They will play...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:18:40 PM
Internazionale will play CFR Cluj. The English teams will be pleased to have avoided the Italian giants.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:19:46 PM
Levante will play Olympiakos.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:20:41 PM
No English teams out the hat yet. Stand by...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:20:53 PM
Liverpool will take on Russian side Zenit St Petersburg!

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:22:00 PM
Tough draw for Liverpool!

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:22:09 PM
WTF! Liverpool get Zenit!! That was the same as the practice draw!

by KritzG via twitter 12/20/2012 1:22:47 PM
Dynamo Kiev to play Bordeaux.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:23:26 PM
Chelsea come on, this is again another opportunity to Winners after long time

by samsosten 12/20/2012 1:24:09 PM
German side Bayer Leverkusen will play Portugal's Benfica.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:24:43 PM
Memories of Partridge doing the World Cup '94 draw explanation on The Day Today. Kluivert looks amused and confused

by Tom Collomosse via twitter 12/20/2012 1:25:01 PM
Newcastle will play Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkiv - great draw for Alan Pardew's side.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:26:12 PM
Stuttgart will play Genk.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:27:07 PM
Atletico Madrid are out the hat - they will play...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:27:31 PM
Atletico Madrid will play Rubin Kazan - the English teams have done well to avoid the Spaniards.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:28:14 PM
Ajax will take on Steaua Bucharest.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:28:56 PM
Basle will play Dnipro.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:30:13 PM
Tottenham and Chelsea still to come in the Europa League draw...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:30:19 PM
Anzhi Makhachkala will play Hannover.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:31:41 PM
Chelsea have been drawn against Sparta Prague!

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:32:20 PM
Borussia Moenchengladbach play Lazio.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:33:31 PM
Tottenham take on Lyon - oh no - dreadful draw for AVB's side.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:34:22 PM
And the final tie to be drawn sees Napoli take on Viktoria Plzen.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:35:18 PM
The two most exciting ties from an English perspective will be Tottenham v Lyon and Liverpool v Zenit St Petersburg - really tough draws for both of them.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:36:44 PM
Newcastle will be delighted to take on Metalist Kharkiv of Ukraine - one of the 'minnows' still in the Europa League.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:37:14 PM
Chelsea's match against Sparta Prague also looks pretty negotiable.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:37:47 PM
But what do you think? Leave your thoughts and comments above and we'll publish the best ones.

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:38:11 PM
Surely a dreadful tie for Lyon you mean.

by billysboots edited by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:38:22 PM
I don't think Spurs or Lyon will be happy with that draw.

by Steve edited by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:43:35 PM
The round of 16 ties have also been determined...

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:45:34 PM
Napoli or Viktoria Plzen v BATE Borisov or Fenerbache

Leverkusen or Benfica v Dynamo Kiev or Bordeaux

Anzhi Makhachkala or Hannover v Newcastle or Metalist

Stuttgart or Genk v Monchengladbach or Lazio

Tottenham or Lyon v Inter Milan or Cluj

Levante or Olympiakos v Atletico Madrid or Rubin Kazan

Basel or Dnipro v Zenit St Petersburg or Liverpool

Ajax or Steaua Bucharest v Sparta Prague or Chelsea

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 1:45:39 PM
Zenit fans might have already prepared a letter to request Liverpool not to wear black kit

by Elliot Needham via twitter 12/20/2012 1:51:08 PM
Spurs fan and I'm well pleased with the draw, get Lyon and Inter out the way. Nice one.

by AdamH 12/20/2012 2:00:03 PM
Read the full news on the draw by clicking here

by Simon Rice 12/20/2012 2:30:44 PM

Have you tried new the Independent Digital Edition iPad app?

Most Shared
Most Commented

Summer Austria

In the summer, Austria casts off its iconic icy appearance and turns gorgeously green – its mountains and valleys becoming the perfect playground for sunny adventures.

York Break Croatia Michael Bastian

#editme Bergen Fjords

Denver break Credit rating Prizes & offers

Business videos