Liverpool to play Sparta Prague in Europa League round of 16

Six-time European champions Liverpool will do battle with Sparta Prague for a place in the quarter-finals, while Brighton prepare to take on Serie A giants Roma and Brighton face Bundesliga outfit Freiburg.

Elsewhere, Philippe Clement’s Rangers side have been paired with Portuguese champions Benfica after going through as Group C winners.

The three Premier League clubs, plus Rangers, are all seeded heading into the knockout phase and will therefore be on the road for their respective first legs on March 7.

They will then entertain their opponents in the second leg of their last-16 ties on March 14 – ahead of April’s quarter-finals.

All four British teams progressed through as group winners, with West Ham – last year’s Europa Conference League champions – amassing 15 points after picking up five victories from six games under David Moyes.

Liverpool, meanwhile, won four of their six matches in Group E, suffering shock defeats away to Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise before the knockout phase.

This year’s Europa League final takes place at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in the Republic of Ireland on May 22.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa learned they will clash with Ajax – four-time conquerers of Europe – in the Europa Conference League last-16 draw, which took place shortly after the Europa League draw at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Europa League last-16 draw
Sparta Prague v Liverpool

Marseille v Villarreal

Roma v Brighton

Benfica v Rangers

Freiburg v West Ham

Sporting v Atalanta

AC Milan v Slavia Prague

Qarabag v Bayer Leverkusen

Europa Conference League last-16 draw
Servette v Viktoria Plzen

Ajax v Aston Villa

Molde v Club Brugge

Union Saint-Gilloise v Fenerbahce

Dinamo Zagreb v PAOK

Sturm Graz v Lille

Maccabi Haifa v Fiorentina

Olympiakos v Maccabi Tel Aviv

When is the Europa League knockout stage?
Round of 16: March 7 and 14 2024
Quarter-finals: April 11 and 18 2024
Semi-finals: May 2 and 9 2024
Final: May 22 2024 (Aviva Stadium in Dublin)