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Liverpool and Tottenham await Europa League group-stage draw

Friday 28 August 2015 12:03, UK

NYON, SWITZERLAND - JUNE 24: Gianni Infantino, UEFA General Secretary, and Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA Competition Director, proceed to the UEFA Europa League
Image: Follow the Europa League group-stage draw across the Sky Sports platforms from midday Friday

Liverpool will be in pot two for Friday's Europa League group-stage draw after they dropped down the UEFA coefficient rankings.

The Reds face the prospect of being drawn against opponents from pot one, which includes the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Schalke, Napoli, Marseille, Villarreal and Basel, who defeated them in last season's Champions League group stage.

Liverpool were 11th in the Europa League rankings ahead of Thursday's play-off second legs, but victories for Dortmund, Ajax and Athletic Bilbao saw the Merseysiders slip outside out of the group of 12 teams occupying the favourable pot one spots.

A hat-trick by Marco Reus and two goals from Shinji Kagawa sealed Dortmund's place in Friday's draw as they thumped Norwegian club Odd 7-2 on the night, progressing 11-5 on aggregate.

Tottenham, meanwhile, join the teams in pot one, but Mauricio Pochettino's side cannot play a team from their own country in the group stage, and therefore will avoid Liverpool.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers
Image: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers faces a tough test in the Europa League

Fresh off the back of their Spanish Super Cup victory over Barcelona, a 1-0 victory over MSK Zilina at the San Mames saw Athletic Bilbao progress into the Europa League group stages on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

Similarly, Ajax scrapped past FK Jablonec with a 1-0 victory in the Czech Republic - enough to see them through after a scoreless first leg. 

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Liverpool have failed to progress past the last 16 of any European competition in the last five years. The UEFA coefficient is calculated from results in Europe since the beginning of the 2011/12 season.

Liverpool players look dejected as Demba Ba celebrates
Image: Liverpool were knocked out by Besiktas in the Europa League round of 32 last season

Pot 1
Schalke (GER) 
Borussia Dortmund (GER) 
FC Basel (SUI) 
Napoli (ITA) 
Tottenham (ENG) 
Ajax (NED) 
Villarreal (ESP) 
Rubin Kazan (RUS) 
Athletic Club (ESP) 
Sporting CP (POR) 
Marseille (FRA) 
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR)

Nacer Chadli of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Stoke
Image: Tottenham will be in pot one, but cannot face Liverpool or Southampton

Pot 2
Braga (POR) 
Fiorentina (ITA) 
Lazio (ITA) 
Anderlecht (BEL) 
Liverpool (ENG) 
AZ Alkmaar (NED) 
Viktoria Plzen (CZE) 
Club Brugge (BEL) 
PAOK (GRE) 
Celtic (SCO) 
Besiktas (TUR) 
APOEL (CYP)

Mikel San Jose and Athletic Bilbao celebrate
Image: Spanish Super Cup winners Athletic Club will be seeking more silverware

Pot 3
Monaco (FRA) 
Sparta Praha (CZE) 
Fenerbahce (TUR) 
Legia Warszawa (POL) 
Bordeaux (FRA) 
Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS) 
Lech Poznan (POL) 
Saint-Etienne (FRA) 
Slovan Liberec (CZE) 
Augsburg (GER) 
Rapid Wien (AUT) 
Krasnodar (RUS)

FC Midtjylland's Petter Andersson in action against Southampton
Image: Southampton's conquerors FC Midtjylland take their place in the draw

Pot 4
Partizan (SRB) 
Asteras Tripolis (GRE) 
Belenenses (POR)
Rosenborg (NOR) 
Qarabag (AZE) 
Molde (NOR) 
Dinamo Minsk (BLR) 
Groningen (NED) 
Sion (SUI) 
Midtjylland (DEN) 
Skenderbeu (ALB) 
Qabala (AZE)

The draw for the Europa League group stage will take place at midday UK time on Friday, August 28 in Monaco. Follow it with our live blog on skysports.com or via the Sky Sports apps.

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