The Europa League group stage is nearing an end with a handful of teams having already been confirmed for the knockout rounds, including the likes of Premier League teams Arsenal and Chelsea.
The full extent of the round of 32 will not be known until the end of the Champions League group stage this week in which eight of the third-placed teams will then drop down to the Europa League.
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The draw date for the Europa League last 32 is edging closer, and Goal takes a look at how the draw can be followed, how it works and which teams have qualified so far.
When is the Europa League knockouts draw?
The draw for the Europa League last 32 stage will take place on December 17, 2018, and the draw for the last 16 will happen on February 22, 2019.
The draw will take place in Nyon at the headquarters of UEFA and proceedings will get started at 12pm GMT (7am ET), one hour after the draw for the Champions League.
Europa League knockouts draw seeding & how it works
| Group | Winners (seeded in round of 32 draw) | Runners-up (unseeded in round of 32 draw) | Qualified (position TBD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Bayer Leverkusen, Zurich | ||
| B | Red Bull Salzburg | ||
| C | Zenit Saint Petersburg | ||
| D | Dinamo Zagreb | Fenerbahce | |
| E | Arsenal | Sporting CP | |
| F | Real Betis | ||
| G | |||
| H | Eintracht Frankfurt | Lazio | |
| I | |||
| J | |||
| K | Dynamo Kyiv | ||
| L | Chelsea |
*Only lists teams who have already qualified for the round of 32 stage. Goal will keep this page updated throughout the remainder of the group phase.
The knockout phase for the Europa League consists of 32 teams (unlike the 16 teams in the Champions League).
Twenty-four of the teams will comprise of group winners and runners-up of each of the 12 groups in the initial group stage, as well as the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage.
In the round of 32 draw, 12 group winners and the four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage with the better group records are seeded, and the 12 group runners-up and the other four third-placed teams are left unseeded.
The seeded teams are then drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group or the same association (such as the Premier League or La Liga) may not be drawn against one another.
How to watch the Europa League knockouts draw
UEFA's official website will be streaming the draw live and it will also be available to watch on TV.
Goal will be bringing you all the latest developments from the draw too, so be sure to check in here.
When do the Europa League knockout stages start?
The first leg of the round of 32 stage will be played from February 14-21, and the second legs will be played from March 7-14.
When & where will the Europa League final take place?
The final will be played on May 29, 2019 at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This season will be the first that the Europa League final is to be played at the same time as the Champions League final, with the winners of the competition earning the right to play the winners of the latter tournament in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup.
