Europa League Knockout Draw: Date, Time, Format, Bracket

A draw for the knockout playoff round of the new look UEFA Europa League is upon us.

But who is attending this draw? Why are the league positions so important? And when is the next draw?

This is how it works.

When is the draw for the Knockout Playoff round?

A draw for the Knockout Playoff round will take place on Friday at. 7 ET / MIDDAY UK in House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

Which clubs are in Friday’s draw?

Only the 16 teams ending in positions 9 to 24 will have an interest.

The clubs ending in the eight top eight go directly to the 16th round.

Clubs that finish 25 to 36th are removed.

Does it matter where you finish in the table?

Yes, because the league positions create the knockout bracket. Unlike in previous seasons where there would be open features, paths are set after this phase is completed.

The new “grafting” system means that the highest placed teams cannot meet each other until the latter stages of the knockout round.

For example, if we look at the table right now, Lazio and Eintracht are Frankfurt in the first and second and they would not be able to play each other before the final. The teams in the third and fourth – currently Athletic Club and Manchester United – cannot play Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt until the semi -finals.

After completing the seventh or eighth could be seen as creating a more difficult path than being 11 or 12th, as it would mean the first or second in the quarterfinals. Holds in 11th and 12. Avoid this until the semi -finals, but must play an extra round.

How does the knockout work work?

In the Knockout -Playoff round, teams are paired by their final position in order (eg 9 and 10, 11 and 12, etc.).

Of each pair, teams will be drawn into opposite halves of the bracket. For example, 15. (Union St.-Gilloise), 16.

Before the draw, paired teams will have two possible opponents. If we take Union St.-Gilloise and Ajax again, they will be drawn to play either 17. (PAOK) or 18. (Real Sociedad).

The eight used teams are first drawn in a position in the bracket. This starts with 23rd and 24th and moves down to 17th and 18. In both cases, the first team draws into the first half of the bracket (let’s say paok), which means the second club in the couple (which would be real sociedad) enters the second half.

Draw then move on to the seeded teams and continue with 15th and 16th down to ninth and 10. -that automatically creates a knockout playoff luminaire -and so on with the other paired team in the second half (making Union St. -Gilloise vs. Real Sociedad).

The grafted clubs play the other leg at home.

So there is no national protection?

Correct. Clubs from the same country can play each other from the Knockout Playoff round and in the future.

It is also possible to draw one of the eight teams you have already faced – including the latest opponents from Match Day 8.

What dates are the Knockout Playoff round?

First Ben: 13 February
Other legs: February 20th

So what about the top eight clubs?

After the knockout playoff round a draw, the teams that end inside the top eight will still have four possible opponents.

For example, the third (Athletic Club) and Sixth (Man United) would still be able to play any of the 13th, 14th, 19th or 20 (Rangers, AZ Alkmaar, Central Jutland, Elfsborg). This is because Athletic and Man United could still be pulled into both half, but only to the specific paths for these fixtures.

Once the Knockout Playoff round has ended and two of these clubs have been knocked out, Athletic and Man United would have two possible opponents back: The winners of the Knockout Playoff Round tape.

When is the draw for the 16th round?

The round of 16 draw will then take place on Friday, February 21, where Athletic and Man United would simply be drawn into the opposite halves of the bracket – which would create a fixture against one of the winners of the tapes involving rangers , AZ Alkmaar, Central Jutland, Elfsborg.

The teams placed first to eighth are grafted and will be at home in the second stage.

First Ben: 6 March
Other legs: 13 March

The knockout bracket has now been put through to the final.

Who comes home advantage in the quarterfinals and the semi -finals?

There will be another draw, just after the round of 16 is set to determine the home layer in the second stage for the quarterfinals and the semi -finals. This is not done on grafting the league.