Marseille and Lyon were both drawn against Bayer Leverkusen in the group stage of the Europa League on Friday, while fellow French club Rennes will take on Italian giants Juventus. The draw in Monaco also handed English duo Bournemouth and Sunderland a glamour tie against AC Milan.
French clubs Marseille and Lyon were spared an early clash with Italian heavyweights Juventus and AC Milan in Friday's Europa League draw, which saw Ligue 1 rivals Rennes land a tough trip to Turin.
Olympique Lyonnais, who missed out on a place in the Champions League after losing to Fenerbahçe in the play-offs on Wednesday, will face their former manager Pierre Sage’s Crystal Palace and host Bayer Leverkusen.
Lyon will travel to Real Sociedad in Spain, Anderlecht in Belgium, Hoffenheim in Germany and Jagiellonia in Poland, and host another Belgian side, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Lillestrøm from Norway.
Marseille will host the Greek side Olympiacos, Anderlecht, Celta Vigo and Levski Sofia, and will travel to Leverkusen, Celtic Glasgow, Sturm Graz and Besiktas.
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Placed in Pot 2, Rennes – who are returning to European competition after a two-year absence – were handed a tough tie against Juventus Turin and will also face Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb, Sparta Prague, Omonia Nicosia, Sturm Graz, OFI Crete and NEC Nijmegen.
The first round of the Europa League will take place on September 16-17, and the final will be held in Frankfurt on 26 May 2027.
Last year, Aston Villa beat German side Freiburg in the final to bring a European trophy back to Birmingham for the first time in 44 years.
English newcomers Bournemouth are featuring in a continental competition for the first time after finishing sixth in last season's Premier League, and can look forward to hosting seven-time European champions Milan on the south coast of England.
The team coached by Marco Rose will also play home games against Czech club Viktoria Plzen, Sturm Graz of Austria and Israeli champions Hapoel Be'er Sheva, and travel to Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo, Sparta Prague and last year's Norwegian Cup winners Lillestrom.
Sunderland's seventh-placed finish in last season's Premier League gave them European football for the first time since 1973, and their supporters can look forward to a trip to San Siro.
They will also visit former UEFA Cup winners Anderlecht, have home games against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb and Levski Sofia, and play two Polish clubs in the shape of Jagiellonia Bialystok and Lech Poznan.
In addition, they will visit Torreense, the tiny second-division side who were shock winners of last season's Portuguese Cup.
Like their fellow English sides, last season's UEFA Conference League winners Crystal Palace were among the third pot of seeds.
Now coached by Frenchman Pierre Sage, the South London club will face Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, Lech Poznan and German outfit Hoffenheim at home, and travel to Lyon, Salzburg, Jagiellonia and Besiktas.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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