Enlarge image
The trophy for the Europa League winner
Photo: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP
The pairings for the round of 16 of the Europa League have been determined.
Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will once again face Azerbaijani club Qarabag Agdam.
Both teams had already met in the group phase and Bayer won the games.
SC Freiburg is also playing against an old friend, West Ham United from England were already opponents in the group phase.
Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool FC meet the reigning Czech champions Sparta Prague.
In the Europa League season so far, Leverkusen won all six games and qualified directly for the round of 16 as group winners.
As second in the group, SC Freiburg had to take the detour via the intermediate round.
There, after a 0-0 draw in the first leg, Freiburg prevailed with a dramatic 3-2 second leg win against RC Lens.
Liverpool and Leverkusen have home advantage in the second leg, Freiburg first hosts West Ham United.
The round of 16 first legs will take place on March 7th, the second legs a week later on March 14th.
Only Sporting Lisbon's game had to be brought forward to March 5th because Benfica, a second team from Lisbon, progressed.
The final will take place in Dublin on May 22nd.
The other encounters:
AC Milan – Slavia Prague
Benfica Lisbon – Glasgow Rangers
AS Roma – Brighton & Hove Albion
Sporting Lisbon – Atalanta Bergamo
Olympique Marseille – Villarreal FC
mlb