Europa Conference League round of 16 draw: Ajax to face Aston Villa, Lille clash with Sturm Graz | OneFootball

The draw for the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 16 took place today, with some thrilling encounters between European hopefuls on the cards.

The first legs are scheduled for March 7, with the return matches happening a week later.

Swiss side Servette will face Viktoria Plzen, aiming to pull off an upset against the experienced Czech outfit after edging out Ludogrets in the play-offs.

However, it won’t be straightforward for Servette as they come up against a Plzen side that has not lost a game since October.

Four-time European champions Ajax will fancy their chances against Aston Villa, although their performances have left much to be desired this season.

Villa manager Unai Emery is a Europa League expert but will bring his expertise to this competition as the Villains search for their first trophy since their League Cup win in 1996.

Norwegian side Molde FK will lock horns with Club Brugge. Molde dropped down from the Europa League and face the Belgian side in another potentially exciting match-up.

Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb were drawn against Greek side PAOK.

Union Saint-Gilloise, last year’s Europa League quarter-finalists, face a tough test against Turkish giants Fenerbahce, runners-up in the Super Lig.

Maccabi Haifa take on last year’s finalists Fiorentina, while Olympiakos face Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Sturm Graz will clash with Lille, who reached the same stage of the Champions League two seasons ago.

Europa Conference League last-16 draw