Europa League draw: Rennes against AC Milan and Toulouse against Benfica in the play-offs

2023-12-18 14:46:22

With four French teams involved, the draw for the Europa League play-offs was particularly followed in France. In hat 1 following their second place in the group, Olympique de Marseille, Toulouse and Stade Rennais could not face RC Lens, placed in hat 2 as third in the Champions League group. But the former Rennais and French international Julien Escudé, who carried out this draw, still reserved beautiful posters for his former team and the French clubs.

It was Stade Rennais, which lost its first place and its ticket for the round of 16 by losing to Villarreal on Thursday (2-3), which hit the jackpot. The Bretons will face AC Milan of Olivier Giroud, Théo Hernandez or Mike Maignan, during these play-offs. The Milanese were transferred to the Europa League following their third place in the Paris Saint-Germain group in the Champions League.

Toulouse, who won their ticket for these play-offs by dominating the Austrians of LASK on Thursday (2-1), will meet another big player: Benfica. Angel Di Maria’s Portuguese finished in third place in their C1 group, behind Real Sociedad and Inter Milan. In the championship, the Lisbon side are, as often, battling with Sporting Lisbon and Porto.

Marseille against Shakhtar Donetsk, Lens against Friborg

Olympique de Marseille, who failed to maintain a draw against Brighton which would have allowed them to go directly to the round of 16, will first have to eliminate Shakhtar Donetsk to join them. Like the opponents of Rennes and Toulouse, the Ukrainians come from the Champions League. They finished in third place in their group with 9 points behind FC Barcelona and Porto, and ahead of Antwerp. In 2009 in the quarter-final of the C3, Donetsk eliminated OM (2-1, 2-0)

RC Lens, eliminated from the Champions League by Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven despite two victories and two draws in six matches, was transferred to the Europa League play-offs and can therefore continue its European epic. It will start with a duel against Freiburg, currently sixth in the Bundesliga. An affordable opponent for the Sang et Or, who are regaining color after a delicate start to the season in Ligue 1.