Real Sociedad and Granada are going to have more difficult rivals

At 13:00 (M + Champions League and Eurosport 1), after the Champions League, it will be the turn of the Europa League. Their elimination phase begins in the sixteenth, facing thirty-two teams (twenty-four classified as first and second and the eight third who come down from the Champions League) divided into two pots. The first, with the 12 leaders of each group and the 4 best third parties in the Champions League (United, Bruges, Shakhtar and Ajax). The second, with 12 seconds in each group and the 4 worst third in the Champions League (Krasnodar, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Kiev and Olympiacos). Villarreal is seeded, while Real Sociedad and Granada, in pot 2, will have worse rivals a priori.

As is customary in UEFA tournaments, the draw is conditioned on the fact that teams from the same federation or from countries that are politically opposed cannot be matched. The dates for these sixteenths are February 18 (one way) and February 25 (return).