Liverpool entered the light group in the Europa League
Due to only finishing fifth in the Premier League last season, Liverpool did not participate in the Champions League this season after six consecutive seasons of fighting in the highest playing field in European football. But thanks to the high difference in the UEFA rankings, Klopp's teachers and students were still placed in the seed group - group I - when entering the Europa League draw today.
Compared to their achievements, while Liverpool has won 13 European titles - including 6 Champions League / C1 Cup, none of the remaining three opponents have ever won the throne on the continent. LASK has more experience than ever when it comes to European Cups five seasons in a row. But this Austrian club only advanced as far as the round of 16 in the Europa League in the 2019-2020 season, where they lost both matches to Man Utd with a total score of 1-7.
Klopp's teachers and students will begin their journey in this season's Europa League on Thursday, September 21. The next matches will take place on October 5 and 26, November 9 and 30, and December 14.
In the last time participating in the Europa League, the 2015-2016 season and the first season coach Klopp fully led the team, Liverpool easily ranked first in the group stage. After that, the team successively passed Augsburg (Germany), Man Utd (England), Dortmund (Germany) and Villarreal (Spain) in the knock-out rounds to reach the final, where they lost 1-3 to Sevilla.
West Ham - the team that entered the Europa League this season thanks to a wildcard for last season's Europa Conference League winners - are also in an easy Group A, with Olympiakos (Greece), Freiburg (Germany) and TSC Bačka Topola (Serbia).
Compared to two compatriots, the remaining representative of the Premier League - Brighton - faces the most difficulty, being in Group E. In their first participation in the European Cup, De Zerbi and his team will face the most traditional team in Hanoi. Lan Ajax Amsterdam, Marseille - the team that ranked third in the French championship last season and owns many stars such as Guendouzi, Aubameyang, Ismaïla Sarr, Azzedine Ounahi, Vitinha... The remaining team in the group also promises to be very difficult to play, is AEK Athens - Greek champion last season.
The reigning Europa League runner-up - AS Roma - is also in Group G and is considered light. Jose Mourinho and his team will meet rivals Slavia Prague (Czech Republic), Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) and Servette (Switzerland).
This season's Europa League group stage takes place from September 21 to December 14. The top eight teams from each group will directly advance to the 1/8 round. The eight group runners-up will play against the eight third-placed teams in the Champions League group stage to drop down to the remaining eight tickets to the round of 16.
The Europa League final this season will take place on May 22, 2024, at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
