90min
·31 August 2024
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Yahoo sports90min
·31 August 2024
UEFA have announced the schedule for the league phase of this season's Europa League.
As is the case with the Champions League and Conference League, the Europa League has been reformatted for the 2024/25 campaign.
Instead of 32 teams competing in an eight-pool group stage, 36 teams will take on eight allocated opponents and compete together in a combined league table. The top eight sides head into the knockout rounds, while ninth to 24th move on to the play-off round.
Among the favourites to go all the way this year are Premier League duo Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, while Scottish side Rangers will also fancy their chances having been among the giants in pot one.
Here are their schedules for the upcoming European campaign.
Man Utd are out for European glory / DARREN STAPLES/GettyImages
Man Utd have been handed a mixed draw to begin their journey for a second Europa League title.
They will start their campaign against Twente at Old Trafford before facing two successive away games. The first comes at Porto and then travel to Turkey to take on Fenerbahce, who are now managed by former boss Jose Mourinho.
The Red Devils then enjoy back-to-back home ties with PAOK and Bodo/Glimt, while their last European journey of 2024 comes away at Viktoria Plzen.
In January 2025, Man Utd will host Rangers and then close the league stage away at Romanian outfit FCSB.
Tottenham are back in Europe / HENRY NICHOLLS/GettyImages
Two-time Europa League winners Tottenham are back in continental action this season, and kick off their journey at home to Azerbaijani champions Qarabag - the team Son Heung-min scored his first Spurs goal against back in 2015.
Unlike Man Utd, Tottenham will not have to play back-to-back away games in the league phase. Their first match on the road comes at Ferencvaros.
Ange Postecoglou's side return home to play AZ Alkmaar and then go back on their travels to face Galatasaray in arguably their toughest test of the tournament.
It doesn't get much easier from there with a home match against AS Roma and then trip to Glasgow to face Rangers.
Tottenham's final league stage fixtures come away at Hoffenheim and at home to outsiders Elfsborg.
How far will Rangers go? / Ian MacNicol/GettyImages
Rangers have their work cut out if they are to repeat their 2021/22 heroics and reach the Europa League final.
First up is an away tie with Malmo, though they then face Lyon and FCSB in successive home fixtures. This will be followed by tricky trips to Olympiacos and Nice.
As you may have pieced together, Rangers face UK opposition in back-to-back fixtures, hosting Tottenham in December and heading to Man Utd a month later.
The Gers' final league phase encounter comes at home to Union Saint-Gilloise, who they knocked out on their way to the 2022/23 Champions League group stage.
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