Europa League draw LIVE: Liverpool, West Ham, Brighton and Rangers learn last-16 fate
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are the favourites to triumph in the Dublin final, with West Ham, Brighton and Rangers also in contention
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool will face Sparta Prague in the Europa League last-16 while Brighton play Roma in what will be a historic knockout tie for the Seagulls.
Rangers were drawn against Benfica as West Ham were paired with German side Freiburg, who David Moyes’s side defeated twice in the group stages.
Brighton are playing their first ever European campaign under Roberto De Zerbi and the Italian will take his team to Rome before hosting the Serie A side on the south coast.
Liverpool received a favourable draw against Sparta Prague while Rangers will face Portuguese giants Benfica in a glamour European tie.
West Ham received a familiar draw against Freiburg, who they have already played this season - winning in London and in Germany.
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen play Qarabag, Sporting Lisbon face Atalanta, Villareal play Marseille and AC Milan take on Slavia Prague.
The last-16 ties will take place on 7 March and 14 March, with the seeded teams - in this case all four British sides - at home for the second leg.
Follow the last 16 draw and reaction as Jurgen Klopp eyes glory in Dublin to end his reign at Anfield:
Europa League last 16 draw: Who are the seeded and unseeded teams?
Seeded teams
Atalanta (ITA)
Brighton (ENG)
Leverkusen (GER)
Liverpool (ENG)
Rangers (SCO)
Slavia Praha (CZE)
Villarreal (ESP)
West Ham (ENG)
Unseeded teams
AC Milan (ITA)
Benfica (POR)
Freiburg (GER)
Marseille (FRA)
Qarabağ (AZE)
Roma (ITA)
Sparta Praha (CZE)
Sporting CP (POR)
Jurgen Klopp compares Liverpool’s ‘thunderstorm’ win over Luton with famous comeback against Barcelona
Jurgen Klopp broke his promise. A few months ago, he had vowed to stop talking about his greatest comeback, his greatest night. There can be a temptation to mention the most famous of his 472 games in charge of Liverpool, in part because it combined so many of the elements that have defined his reign. But after another four-goal comeback, he reached for the ultimate in his search for something reminiscent.
“I promised my team a few months ago that I would never mention the Barcelona game as an example and I used it again today so I broke my promise,” he said. “Just because this game was, before the game, kind of similar.”
It is not often Luton Town find themselves bracketed with Barcelona. It was the shared sense of adversity that prompted Klopp to make the comparison. He likes the idea of limitless possibilities, of making the improbable possible and then actual. Liverpool were underdogs against Barcelona and they definitely were not against Luton, they trailed by three goals to Lionel Messi and co and just one to Carlton Morris and his colleagues, but these were Liverpool sides with a difference, both depleted by injury.
Klopp compares Liverpool’s ‘thunderstorm’ win over Luton with Barcelona comeback
Klopp had vowed to stop talking about the 4-3 aggregate win over Barcelona but could not resist recalling that legendary second-leg game after Liverpool fought back to overcome Luton at Anfield on Wednesday night
Xabi Alonso has ‘nothing new to say’ about Liverpool and Bayern Munich links
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has insisted there is “nothing new to say” regarding fresh speculation over his future.
Alonso has been heavily linked with the Liverpool job since Jurgen Klopp announced last month he would step down at the end of the campaign, but the Premier League club now face competition from Bayern Munich.
It was revealed on Wednesday that current Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel will leave his position at the conclusion of the season – increasing the scrutiny on Alonso.
Xabi Alonso has ‘nothing new to say’ about Liverpool and Bayern Munich links
Head coach Alonso is contracted to Bayer Leverkusen until the summer of 2026.
What time is the Europa League last 16 draw?
Europa League sides are set to find out their last-16 opponents when the draw takes place on Friday.
There will be plenty of Premier League interest, with Liverpool, West Ham and Brighton all safely through to the round of 16 after finishing top of their respective groups.
The English trio, alongside the other five group winners, are joined in the draw by the eight other teams who made it through the play-off round.
The play-off second legs concluded on Thursday and saw those who finished second in their Europa League group face a side who finished third in their respective Champions League group.
What time is the Europa League last 16 draw?
Everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s Europa League draw
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