The Europa League round of 16 draw has been made and Liverpool should celebrate

The Reds will not face any of the top-tier opponents that could have been drawn against them.

23/02/2024, 12:38 PM +00:00

The decisive UEFA Europa League play-off matches were played on Thursday, pitting the teams who finished second in their group against those who finished third in the Champions League. Once the eight winning clubs were confirmed, everything was ready for the draw for the next phase, which includes the teams that won each of the eight groups.

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And finally this Friday the draw for the round of 16 was made, with good news for Liverpool. The Reds had the advantage of an almost perfect first phase, but that was no guarantee because they could face top teams like AS Roma, Benfica or AC Milan. However, luck was on their side and they will face Sparta Prague, who beat Galatasaray in the previous round.

The first leg will be on March 7 in the Czech Republic, while the decisive match will be a week later at Anfield Road. There, Jürgen Klopp's team will try to take a key step on their way to the title, which could make the farewell to the German coach at the end of the season even more epic.

The other English teams that have qualified for the round of 16 had different fates. West Ham United will face Freiburg, curiously their rivals in the group stage. And Brighton & Hove Albion were unlucky, as their opponents will be AS Roma. The other matches will be Rangers vs Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen vs Qarabag, Atalanta vs Sporting Lisbon and Slavia Prague vs AC Milan.

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They have other worries first

Although the UEFA Europa League is one of Liverpool's main objectives this season, they have other important games before thinking about the round of 16 vs Sparta Prague. This Sunday they will play the Carabao Cup final vs Chelsea, while on Saturday March 2 they will visit Nottingham Forest, looking for a victory that will allow them to stay at the top of the Premier League.