The Yellows will find out who they’ll be playing in the Round of 32 today (1pm CET)
The Group stage has finished and Villarreal are through to the next round of the UEFA Europa League. Javi Calleja’s side, who secured their place in the next round of the competition in their penultimate group game by beating FC Astana (2-3), will be drawn out of Pot 1 in the Round of 32 draw that will take place at 1pm CET on Monday 11th December at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Conditions
No team can play against a team they have already faced in the Group stage (in Villarreal’s case, who played in Group A, they cannot be drawn against FC Astana), nor a team from the same country. Therefore, the Yellow Submarine cannot come up against Real Sociedad. Athletic Bilbao finished top of their group and will be in the same pot as Villarreal, so there is a double reason the Yellows cannot be drawn against them.
Villarreal are also not allowed to be drawn against any of the four best third place teams that have dropped into the competition from the Champions League, these are CSKA Moscow, Atlético Madrid, Leipzig and Sporting Lisbon, as they will also be in Pot 1.
The first leg will be played on Thursday 15th February and the return leg, which by regulation has to be played at the Estadio de la Cerámica, will be disputed on the following Thursday, 22nd February.
Possible rivals
Villarreal’s next round opponent will be drawn from the following two groups, that will make up Pot 2:
Worst third place teams from the Champions League:
- Napoli (Italy)
- Spartak Moscow (Russia)
- Celtic (Scotland)
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Second place teams in the Europa League:
- Partizan (Serbia)
- Ludogorets (Bulgaria)
- AEK Athens (Greece)
- Olympique de Lyon (France)
- Copenhague (Denmark)
- Steaua Bucuresti (Romania)
- Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
- Marseille (France)
- Ostersunds (Sweden)
- Nice (France)
