Manchester United qualified for the Champions League by virtue of the fact that they won the Europa League and plenty of top clubs will be aiming to replicate that this season.
Arsenal will compete in the tournament this year having finished fifth in the Premier League, as will Ligue 1 giants Lyon and La Liga outfit Villarreal, so fans are guaranteed top-level football.
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Those teams will enter at the group stage and the field of teams they could be drawn against is now set ahead of Friday's draw.
The various routes to the group stage can be somewhat confusing and complex, but Goal has your complete guide to every round, featuring fully updated draws, scores and qualified teams and an explanation of how each stage works.
THE GROUP STAGE LINEUP
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Steaua Bucharest | Astana | Apollon Limassol |
| Zenit | Ludogorets | Partizan | Istanbul Basaksehir |
| Lyon | BATE Borisov | Hoffenheim | Konyaspor |
| Dynamo Kyiv | Everton | Koln | Vitesse |
| Villarreal | Young Boys | Rijeka | Slavia Prague |
| Athletic Club | Marseille | Vitoria de Guimaraes | Red Star Belgrade |
| Lazio | Real Sociedad | Atalanta | Skenderbeu |
| Milan | Maccabi Tel Aviv | Zulte Waregem | Fastav Zlin |
| Viktoria Plzen | Lokomotiv Moscow | Zorya Luhansk | AEK Athens |
| Red Bull Salzburg | Austria Wien | Rosenborg | Lugano |
| Copenhagen | Hertha BSC | Sheriff Tiraspol | Vardar |
| Braga | Nice | Hapoel Be'er Sheva | Ostersund |
The Europa League group stage will feature 48 teams spread across 12 four-team groups. Sixteen teams automatically qualify for the group stage of the competition and they are then joined by the 22 winners of the play-off as well as the 10 losers of the Champions League play-off.
Teams are divided into four pots of 12 for the draw according to their UEFA club coefficient, which is a rating based on their recent performances in the Champions League and Europa League and the strength of the domestic league they play in.
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The group-stage draw will be held on August 25 in Monaco and matches will then start on September 14, running until December 7. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, where they will be joined by the eight Champions League teams that finished third in their groups.
PLAY-OFF ROUND
| Team | Agg. | Team | Leg 1 | Leg 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan | 7-0 | Shkendija | 6-0 | 1-0 |
| Osijek | 2-2 (a) | Austria Wien | 1-2 | 1-0 |
| Krasnodar | 4-4 (a) | Red Star Belgrade | 3-2 | 1-2 |
| Club Brugge | 0-3 | AEK Athens | 0-0 | 0-3 |
| Maritimo | 1-3 | Dynamo Kyiv | 0-0 | 1-3 |
| Panathinaikos | 2-4 | Athletic Club | 2-3 | 0-1 |
| Apollon Limassol | 4-3 | Midtjylland | 3-2 | 1-1 |
| FH | 3-5 | Braga | 1-2 | 2-3 |
| Everton | 3-1 | Hajduk Split | 2-0 | 1-1 |
| Viitorul Constanta | 1-7 | Red Bull Salzburg | 1-3 | 0-4 |
| Vardar | 4-1 | Fenerbahce | 2-0 | 2-1 |
| Ajax | 2-4 | Rosenborg | 0-1 | 2-3 |
| Rheindorf Altach | 2-3 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 0-1 | 2-2 |
| BATE Borisov | 3-2 | FC Oleksandriya | 1-1 | 2-1 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 1-1 (a) | Skenderbeu | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Ludogorets | 2-0 | Suduva Marijampole | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| Domzale | 1-4 | Marseille | 1-1 | 0-3 |
| Partizan | 4-0 | Videoton | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| Utrecht | 1-2 | Zenit | 1-0 | 0-2 (aet) |
| Legia Warsaw | 1-1 (a) | Sheriff Tiraspol | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Viktoria Plzen | 3-1 | AEK Larnaca | 3-1 | 0-0 |
| PAOK | 3-3 (a) | Ostersund | 3-1 | 0-2 |
A total of 44 teams enter the play-offs for a place in the group stage of the Europa League, with the 15 losers of the Champions League third qualifying round dropping into the tournament alongside the 29 winners from the third qualifying round.
Last year's finalists Ajax were drawn against Rosenborg, while AC Milan took on Macedonian outfit Skendija. Premier League side Everton were handed a tricky tie against Hajduk Split and 2008 winners Zenit faced Dutch team Utrecht.
THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND
The draw for the third qualifying round took place at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on July 14. This stage of the competition features 58 teams, with 25 new clubs joining the 33 winners of the second qualifying round.
The likes of Everton, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven and Zenit were among the 25 new teams to join the tournament at this point.
Teams were separated into four groups of 12 teams (six seeded, six unseeded) and one group of 10 teams (five seeded, five unseeded). Seeding for the third qualifying round was based on UEFA coefficient and those teams who emerged from the second qualifying round took the higher coefficient of the two teams from that tie, regardless.
| Team | Agg. | Team | Leg 1 | Leg 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSV Eindhoven | 0-2 | Osijek | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Trakai | 2-4 | Shkendija | 2-1 | 0-3 |
| Krasnodar | 5-2 | Lyngby | 2-1 | 3-1 |
| Sturm Graz | 2-3 | Fenerbahce | 1-2 | 1-1 |
| Panathinaikos | 3-1 | Gabala | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Mlada Boleslav | 3-3 (2-4 pens) | Skenderbeu | 2-1 | 1-2 |
| Austria Wien | 2-1 | AEL Limassol | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2-1 | Odd | 2-1 | 0-0 |
| Dinamo Bucuresti | 1-4 | Athletic Bilbao | 1-1 | 0-3 |
| Olimpik Donetsk | 1-3 | PAOK | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Arka Gydnia | 4-4 (A) | Midtjylland | 3-2 | 1-2 |
| Ostersund | 3-1 | Fola Esch | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Bordeaux | 2-2 (A) | Videoton | 2-1 | 0-1 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2-0 | Panionios | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Utrecht | 2-2 (A) | Lech Poznan | 0-0 | 2-2 |
| CS U Craiova | 0-3 | AC Milan | 0-1 | 0-2 |
| Brondby | 0-2 | Hajduk Split | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| Gent | 2-3 | Rheindorf Altach | 1-1 | 1-2 |
| Astra Giurgiu | 0-1 | FC Olkesandriya | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Everton | 2-0 | Ruzomberok | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Aberdeen | 2-3 | Apollon Limassol | 2-1 | 0-2 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 3-0 | Sparta Prague | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Botev Plovdiv | 0-2 | Maritimo | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| Bnei Yehuda | 1-2 | Zenit | 0-2 | 1-0 |
| Marseille | 4-2 | Oostende | 4-2 | 0-0 |
| SC Freiburg | 1-2 | Domzale | 1-0 | 2-0 |
| AEK Larnaca | 3-1 | Dinamo Minsk | 2-0 | 1-1 |
| AIK | 2-3 | Braga | 1-1 | 1-2 |
| Suduva Marijampole | 4-1 | Sion | 3-0 | 1-1 |
Seeded teams are shown in bold.
The first legs of the third qualifying round are scheduled to take place on July 27, with the second legs due to be contested on August 3.
SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND
| Team | Agg. | Team | Leg 1 | Leg 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beitar Jerusalem | 1-5 | Botev Plovdiv | 1-1 | 0-4 |
| Apollon Limassol | 5-1 | Zaria Balti | 3-0 | 2-1 |
| Rabotnicki | 1-4 | Dinamo Minsk | 1-1 | 0-3 |
| Slovan Bratislava | 1-3 | Lyngby | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 2-5 | Mlada Boleslav | 2-3 | 0-2 |
| Zeljeznicar Sarajevo | 0-2 | AIK | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| Cork City | 0-2 | AEK Larnaca | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Kairat | 1-3 | Skenderbeu | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Panionios | 5-2 | Gorica | 2-0 | 3-2 |
| Astra Giurgiu | 3-1 | Zira | 3-1 | 0-0 |
| Haugesund | 3-4 | Lech Poznan | 3-2 | 0-2 |
| Brondby | 3-2 | VPS | 2-0 | 1-2 |
| IFK Norrkoping | 3-3 (3-5p) | Trakai | 2-1 | 1-2 (aet) |
| Hajduk Split | 3-1 | Levski Sofia | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Nomme Kalju | 1-4 | Videoton | 0-3 | 1-1 |
| Maccabi Tel-Aviv | 5-1 | KR | 3-1 | 2-0 |
| Valletta | 1-3 | Utrecht | 0-0 | 1-3 |
| Ruzomberok | 2-1 | Brann | 0-1 | 2-0 |
| Liepaja | 1-2 | Suduva Marijampole | 0-2 | 1-0 |
| Gabala | 3-1 | Jagiellona Bialystok | 1-1 | 2-0 |
| Progres Niederkorn | 1-3 | AEL Limassol | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| Rheindorf Altach | 4-1 | Dinamo Brest | 1-1 | 3-0 |
| Ostersund | 3-1 | Galatasaray | 2-0 | 1-1 |
| Inter Baku | 2-4 | Fola Esch | 1-0 | 1-4 |
| Vaduz | 0-2 | Odd | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Valur | 3-5 | Domzale | 1-2 | 2-3 |
| Irtysch Pavlodar | 1-3 | Red Star Belgrade | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Aberdeen | 3-1 | Siroki Brijeg | 1-1 | 2-0 |
| Ferencvaros | 3-7 | Midtjylland | 2-4 | 1-3 |
| Sturm Graz | 3-1 | Mladost Podgorica | 0-1 | 3-0 |
| Shkendija | 4-2 | HJK | 3-1 | 1-1 |
| Trencin | 1-3 | Bnei Yehuda | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Osijek | 3-2 | Luzern | 2-0 | 1-2 |
Seeded teams are shown in bold.
The second qualifying round comprised 16 new teams and the 50 winners of the ties in the first qualifying round.
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The draw for the second qualifying round was held immediately after the first qualifying round draw on June 14. Teams were divided into three groups of 10 (five seeded, five unseeded) and three groups of 12 (six seeded, six unseeded).
For the purposes of seeding, due to the fact that the second qualifying round draw occurred before the victors of the first qualifying round were known, the highest coefficient from each tie was used regardless. For example, if the team with the lower coefficient progressed, they assumed the higher coefficient.
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
| Team | Agg. | Team | Leg 1 | Leg 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maccabi Tel-Aviv | 5-0 | Tirana | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| Mladost Lucan | 0-5 | Inter Baku | 0-3 | 0-2 |
| Shirak | 2-4 | Gorica | 0-2 | 2-2 |
| Shkendija | 7-0 | Dacia Chisinau | 3-0 | 4-0 |
| Trencin | 8-1 | Torpedo Kutaisi | 5-1 | 3-0 |
| Kairat | 8-1 | Atlantas | 6-0 | 2-1 |
| Chichura Sachkhere | 1-2 | Rheindorf Altach | 0-1 | 1-1 |
| Zira | 4-1 | Differdange | 2-0 | 2-1 |
| Levski Sofia | 3-1 | Sutjeska Niksic | 3-1 | 0-0 |
| Lech Poznan | 7-0 | Pelister | 4-0 | 3-0 |
| Beitar Jerusalem | 7-3 | Vasas | 4-3 | 3-0 |
| Fola Esch | 3-2 | Milsami Orhei | 2-1 | 1-1 |
| Vojvodina | 2-3 | Ruzomberok | 2-1 | 0-2 |
| Irtysch Pavlodar | 3-0 | Dunav Ruse | 1-0 | 2-0 |
| Mladost Podgorica | 4-0 | Gandzasar Kapan | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| Siroki Brijeg | 2-0 | Ordabasy | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| Partizani Tirana | 1-4 | Botev Plovdiv | 1-3 | 0-1 |
| Pyunik | 1-9 | Slovan Bratislava | 1-4 | 0-5 |
| Dinamo Batumi | 0-5 | Jagiellona Bialystok | 0-1 | 0-4 |
| Videoton | 5-3 | Balzan | 2-0 | 3-3 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 6-3 | Floriana | 3-0 | 3-3 |
| UE Santa Coloma | 0-6 | Osijek | 0-2 | 0-4 |
| Tre Penne | 0-7 | Rabotnicki | 0-1 | 0-6 |
| Zeljeznicar Sarajevo | 3-2 | Zeta | 1-0 | 2-2 |
| St Joseph's | 0-10 | AEL Limassol | 0-4 | 0-6 |
| Valletta | 3-0 | Folgore | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Zaria Balti | 3-3 (6-5p) | Sarajevo | 2-1 | 1-2 (aet) |
| Rangers | 1-2 | Progres Niederkorn | 1-0 | 0-2 |
| AEK Larnaca | 6-1 | Lincoln Red Imps | 5-0 | 1-1 |
| Skenderbeu | 6-0 | Sant Julia | 1-0 | 5-0 |
| Ventspils | 0-1 | Valur | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Bala Town | 1-5 | Vaduz | 1-2 | 0-3 |
| Domzale | 5-2 | Flora Talinn | 2-0 | 3-2 |
| Midtjylland | 10-2 | Derry City | 6-1 | 4-1 |
| Haugesund | 7-0 | Coleraine | 7-0 | 0-0 |
| St Johnstone | 1-3 | Trakai | 1-2 | 0-1 |
| VPS | 2-0 | Olimpija Ljubljana | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Crusaders | 3-3 (a) | Liepaja | 3-1 | 2-0 |
| Dinamo Minsk | 4-1 | NSI Runavik | 2-1 | 2-0 |
| Stjarnan | 0-2 | Shamrock Rovers | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Odd | 5-0 | Ballymena United | 3-0 | 2-0 |
| Connah's Quay | 1-3 | HJK | 1-0 | 0-3 |
| Nomme Kalju | 4-2 | B36 Torshavn | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Ferencvaros | 3-0 | Jelgava | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| IFK Norrkoping | 6-0 | Prishtina | 5-0 | 1-0 |
| Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 1-2 | Suduva Marijampole | 0-0 | 1-2 |
| KR | 2-0 | SJK | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| Levadia Talinn | 2-6 | Cork City | 0-2 | 2-4 |
| Lyngby | 4-0 | Bangor City | 1-0 | 3-0 |
| KI | 0-5 | AIK | 0-0 | 0-5 |
Seeded teams are shown in bold.
The first qualifying round comprised of 100 teams entering at the very first stage of the competition. The teams were divided into 10 groups with five seeded and unseeded teams in each group based on UEFA coefficient.
The draw for the first qualifying round took place on June 19 in Nyon and matches started on June 29.
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