MADRID, 23 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Villarreal will face Olympique de Marseille in the round of 16 tie of the Europa League, according to the draw held this Friday at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon (Switzerland).
Thus, Marcelino García Toral's men, who entered the pot as one of the top eight clubs in the group, will begin the match on March 7 at the Vélodrome Stadium and will play the return match at the Cerámica Stadium a week later, March 14.
The French, with Jean-Louis Gasset at the head of the bench after the dismissal just a couple of days ago of the Italian Gennaro Gattuso, overcame the round of 32 tie against Shakhtar Donetsk, whom they beat this Thursday in Marseille (3-1) after from 2-2 in the first leg.
The entity chaired by the Spanish Pablo Longoria has in its ranks other Spaniards such as goalkeepers Pau López and Rubén Blanco and old acquaintances from LaLiga such as the former Barcelona player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or the Central African midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, former footballer for Atlético de Madrid, Valencia and Seville.
The first legs will be played on March 7 and the second legs on March 14. The draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals is scheduled for March 15.
–EUROPEAN LEAGUE ROUND OF 8TH ELIMINATORIES.
Sparta Prague – Liverpool.
Olympique de Marseille – Villarreal.
AS Roma – Brighton & Hove Albion.
Benfica – Rangers.
Freiburg – West Ham
Sporting de Portugal – Atalanta.
AC Milan – Slavia de Praga.
Qarabag – Bayer Leverkusen.