Europa League Draw Takes Shape: Seven Clubs Confirmed in Pot One
Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and AC Milan are among seven clubs already guaranteed top-seeded status for Friday's Europa League league phase draw, with the remaining pot one places hinging on Champions League qualifying results still to be settled.
The draw, held in Monaco on Friday 28 August at 13:00 CET, will sort 36 teams into a single league table — the format UEFA introduced to replace the old group stage, where every club plays eight different opponents and the combined results produce one ranking. Thursday's Champions League draw follows at 18:00 CET, with the Conference League draw rounding off the weekend's ceremony on Friday afternoon.
Joining Leverkusen, Juventus and Milan in pot one are AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Real Sociedad and Marseille, according to the BBC's analysis of the seedings. Two more spots remain up for grabs. Whoever loses the Champions League qualifying tie between Fenerbahce and Lyon drops into the Europa League and is guaranteed a pot one place. Benfica can claim the final slot if they beat Danish side AGF in their qualifying round.
Further down the seedings, Scottish champions Celtic are assured of pot two alongside Sparta Prague and Rennes. Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise will land in either pot one or two, with pot two the more likely destination.
The English representation is notable. Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland — all entering the Europa League through their domestic finishes — will drop into pot two or three, with pot three the probable landing spot. That matters because pot one teams generally avoid each other in the draw, while lower-seeded sides face a tougher slate of opponents across their eight matches.
Austrian side Sturm Graz also sits in the pot two-or-three bracket. Celta Vigo, TSG Hoffenheim, Hapoel Be'er Sheva and NEC Nijmegen are all headed for pot three or four, while Torreense — who play in Portugal's second tier — find themselves in the same range of uncertainty. No clubs are yet locked into pots three or four, simply because too many qualifying spots remain open across Europe.
For fans, the draw is the moment the abstract fixture list turns real. Eight opponents, home and away, sorted into a calendar that begins with Matchday 1 on 16 and 17 September. Matchday 2 follows on 15 October, with Matchday 3 on 22 October. UEFA has yet to confirm the knockout phase draw dates.
The league phase format — now in its third season across UEFA's three competitions — rewards consistency over a larger sample of games. Finish in the top eight of the 36-team table and you go straight to the last 16. Places nine to 24 enter a two-legged play-off for the remaining knockout spots. Everyone else is out.
What gives Friday its edge is the unfinished business above it. Fenerbahce versus Lyon and Benfica versus AGF will not be resolved before the Champions League draw on Thursday, meaning the final composition of pot one could shift in the hours before the Europa League balls are drawn. The ceremony in Monaco will have one eye on results still being played out elsewhere.
