Europa League draw start time: When will Arsenal and Chelsea learn their quarter-final fixtures?
Here's everything you need to know about the quarter and semi-final draws
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal beat Rennes on Thursday night to join Chelsea in the quarter-final draw of the Europa League.
The Gunners were made to work hard for their place in the hat, coming from 3-1 down after the first leg to win 4-3 on aggregate.
Chelsea's progress was much smoother, easing their way past Dynamo Kiev and scoring eight goals without reply over the two legs.
The two English clubs join Benfica, Frankfurt, Napoli, Valencia, Villarreal and Slavia Prague in the draw after the latter beat Sevilla in extra time.
That result means their will be no romantic meeting for Emery with his former club, but it will be a boost for the other sides left in the competition.
When is the Champions League quarter-final draw?
The draw will take place on Friday 15 March at 12pm GMT.
The semi-final draw will then take place immediately afterwards.
As usual, the draw will be held in Nyon, Switzerland – the home of Uefa.
How can I watch the draw?
The draw will be shown live on BT Sport 2.
You will also be able to stream the draw via Uefa.com.
And join us at The Independent for the latest news, updates and reaction from Switzerland.
Which teams are in the draw?
- Arsenal (ENG)
- Benfica (POR)
- Chelsea (ENG)
- Frankfurt (GER)
- Napoli (ITA)
- Slavia Praha (CZE)
- Valencia (ESP)
- Villarreal (ESP)
How does the draw work?
There is no seeding or country protection in the Europa League quarter-final or semi-final draw.
The semi-final draw takes place immediately afterwards, meaning teams will immediately know their potential paths to the final.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
Benfica or Eintracht Frankfurt will face either Slavia Prague or Chelsea
The winner of the Arsenal/Napoli vs Villarreal/Valencia semi-final will be the 'home side' in Baku for the Europa League final
A reminder of the draw for you:
Napoli vs Arsenal
Slavia Prague vs Chelsea
Villarreal vs Valencia
Benfica vs Eintracht Frankfurt
A huge tie for Arsenal then, with Napoli the side in waiting for the Gunners.
Carlo Ancelotti has never won the Europa League, but his side were in a tight three-way tussle with Liverpool and PSG to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League this season.
Unai Emery's track record in the competition is much better than his Italian counterpart with three titles but Arsenal can ill-afford a repeat of their first-leg displays against BATE Borisov and Rennes.
Chelsea however will be breathing a much bigger sigh of relief after drawing Slavia Prague.
However, Sarri's men will have to be wary given that the Czech side knocked out Europa League specialists Sevilla in the last round.
There is also an all-Spanish tie, maybe not the all-Premier League one some would have been hoping for, but nevertheless some brilliant ties in there.
If any Arsenal fans are down in the dumps after that nightmare draw, here's a stat to cheer you up (and hopefully bring some nice memories back of Mesut Ozil's first goal for the club).
Thank you for joining us for the draws from both the Champions League and the Europa League today.
A reminder of all the draws and dates that you will need:
UEFA Champions League quarter finals:
Tottenham v Manchester City
Ajax v Juventus
Barcelona v Manchester United
Liverpool v Porto
Ties on the 9/10 and 16/17 April
Semi finals:
Tottenham/Manchester City vs face Ajax/Juventus
Barcelona/Manchester United to face Liverpool/Porto
The semi-finals start on 30 April and 1 May.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments