UEFA Europa League round of 16 draw
Friday, February 23, 2018
Article summary
AC Milan v Arsenal is perhaps the stand-out tie after the draw was made for the next stage of the UEFA Europa League.
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Round of 16 draw
Lazio (ITA) v Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
Leipzig (GER) v Zenit (RUS)
Atlético Madrid (ESP) v Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS)
CSKA Moskva (RUS) v Lyon (FRA)
Marseille (FRA) v Athletic Club (ESP)
Sporting CP (POR) v Plzeň (CZE)
Dortmund (GER) v Salzburg (AUT)
AC Milan (ITA) v Arsenal (ENG)
First legs 8 March, Second legs 15 March
Draw facts
- Milan and Arsenal have played each other six times, winning two apiece with two draws. Their last meeting in 2011/12 was a thriller, the Rossoneri winning 4-0 in the first leg of a UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, only for the Gunners to mount a stirring comeback in north London, falling just short with a 3-0 victory.
- Milan have not won in six visits to England (D3 L3), since a 1-0 victory at Manchester United in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League first knockout round. That is their sole success in 16 away games at Premier League clubs.
- Dortmund boss Peter Stöger returns home for the round of 16. He was the last man to lead a team other than Salzburg to the title in his native Austria, racking up a points record with Austria Wien in 2012/13 before leaving for Köln.
- Aritz Aduriz's wonder goal took Athletic through against Marseille when these sides met in the 2015/16 round of 32.
Lyon are bidding to become just the second club to win this title at their own stadium since one-match finals in pre-selected venues were introduced in 1998. Feyenoord beat Dortmund in Rotterdam in 2002; Sporting CP lost to CSKA Moskva in Lisbon three years later.
How the draw worked
It was an open draw, so there was no seeding or country protection. Based on decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee, teams from Russia and Ukraine could not be drawn together so Dynamo Kyiv were selected in the first pairing with the 12 remaining eligible sides.
The road to Lyon
08/03/18: round of 16, first leg
15/03/18: round of 16, second leg
16/03/18: quarter-final draw
05/04/18: quarter-finals, first leg
12/04/18: quarter-finals, second leg
13/04/18: semi-final and final draw
26/04/18: semi-finals, first leg
03/05/18: semi-finals, second leg
16/05/18: final (Stade de Lyon, Lyon)