Barcelona to play Napoli in Europa League knockout play-offs

SourceEurosport

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Barcelona will begin their Europa League adventure against Napoli in the knockout playoff round.

Barca, who have not played in second-tier European competition since the 2003/04 season, will face Luciano Spalletti’s side as Xavi bids for continental silverware this season.

Fellow competition frontrunner Borussia Dortmund, who are currently second in the Bundesliga table, will face Scottish Premiership champions Rangers.

Six-time winners Sevilla, whose stadium will be used as a test for the final in May, will play last season’s quarter-finalists Dinamo Zagreb.

Atalanta will play Olympiacos. RB Leipzig, who reached the Europa League quarter-finals in 2018, will play Real Sociedad.

The first legs of the play-off ties will be played on February 17, with the return fixtures a week later on February 24.

The Europa League final is on May 18 in Seville.

EUROPA LEAGUE PLAY-OFF DRAW:

  • Sevilla v Dinamo Zagreb
  • Atalanta v Olympiacos
  • RB Leipzig v Real Sociedad
  • Barcelona v Napoli
  • Zenit Saint Petersburg v Real Betis
  • Borussia Dortmund v Rangers
  • Sheriff Tiraspol v Braga
  • Porto v Lazio

For the first time, the teams who finish third in their Europa League groups will see their European seasons extended for the first time in the Europa Conference League. Those eight sides will face one of the eight sides who finished second in the Europa Conference League group stage.

Leicester City, who were knocked out of the Europa League by Napoli on matchday six, will face Danish side Randers. Celtic take on Bodo/Glimt, who famously beat Jose Mourinho’s Roma 6-1 in the group stage earlier this season.

Tottenham will have to wait and see if they will continue in this competition in the new year. Their final group stage match against Rennes has not yet been rescheduled after a Covid outbreak at Spurs saw the game be postponed last week.

Similar to the Europa League, the first legs of the play-off ties will be played on February 17, with the return fixtures a week later on February 24. The final is in Tirana, Albania, on May 25.

CONFERENCE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF DRAW

  • Marseille v Qarabag
  • PSV v Maccabi Tel Aviv
  • Fenerbahce v Slavia Prague
  • Midtjylland v PAOK
  • Leicester v Randers
  • Celtic v Bodo/Glimt
  • Sparta Prague v Partizan Belgrade
  • Rapid Vienna v Vitesse/Tottenham