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Maurizio Sarri has enjoyed an excellent start to his Chelsea reign winning his first three Premier League matches and he will be hoping that his players can replicate their domestic form in the Europa League.

Chelsea dropped out of the Champions League following their fifth place finish in the league last season but they have been installed as the early favourites to win the Europa League by the bookies. The last time Chelsea were in the competition in 2012/13, they won the whole thing beating Benfica in the final.

Having kept Eden Hazard amid interest from Real Madrid and signed Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and Kepa, Chelsea’s squad looks sufficiently strong enough to compete on multiple fronts. Here are the teams that they will face in the Europa League group stage.

Group L in full:

• Chelsea
• PAOK
• BATE Borisov
• Vidi FC

Read more: Champions League groups and fixtures – in full

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Following two defeats from their opening three Premier League games, Arsenal already have a fight on their hands to secure a place in the top four. Winning the Europa League could be their best shot of sealing a return to the Champions League after two years away.

After reaching the semi-finals of the competition last season, Arsenal appointed a bonafide Europa League expert in the summer with three-time winner Unai Emery brought in to replace the long-serving Arsene Wenger in the dugout.

During his time with Sevilla, Emery won the Europa League three years running, beating Benfica, Dnipro and Liverpool to the title. With the Europa League draw now complete, here are the teams that Emery’s Arsenal must defeat to progress through to the knockout stages.

Group E in full:

• Arsenal
• Sporting CP
• Qarabag
• FC Vorskla

Read more: Champions League groups and fixtures 2018/19 – in full

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Having missed out on the Champions League after defeat in qualifying to AEK Athens, Celtic at least confirmed their place in the Europa League with victory against FK Suduva of Lithuania on Thursday evening.

The second-tier of European football may not be ideal for the champions of Scotland – and they will certainly miss the Champions League TV money – but at least it’s a competition where they have a strong chance of advancing past the group stage and perhaps even making forays deep into the knockouts.

Before we get carried away, however, it’s time to assess who they’ll face in the group. With the Europa League group stage draw done and dusted, here are the teams.

Group B – in full

FC Salzburg

Celtic

RB Leipzig

Rosenborg BK

Fixture schedule

Matchday 1: Thursday 20 September

Matchday 2: Thursday 4 October

Matchday 3: Thursday 25 October

Matchday 4: Thursday 8 November

Matchday 5: Thursday 29 November

Matchday 6: Thursday 13 November

(More information TBC)

The opponents

FC Salzburg could be tough opponents for Celtic, having made it to the Europa League semi-finals last term. Champions of Austria for the last five seasons, they beat Real Sociedad, Borussia Dortmund and Lazio in the Europa knockouts before succumbing to eventual finalists Marseille.

Salzburg will not be the only Red Bull-owned club in Group B, with Celtic also set to face RB Leipzig. Salzburg and Leipzig were a controversial double inclusion in the Europa League last time out, with Uefa essentially bending their rules prohibiting partner clubs from competing in the same competition.

Norwegian champions Rosenborg complete the group.

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After edging past Russian side FC Ufa in the Europa League qualifiers, Rangers have their first full European campaign since the 2010/11 season to look forward to.

Back then the Gers were competing in the Champions League, but that is currently more a long-term ambition than it is an immediate prospect. They took their life in their hands against FC Ufa, with both Alfredo Morelos and Jon Flanagan sent off in the second leg as Rangers clung on for a draw and a narrow victory on aggregate.

Having got through to the Europa League group stage, Steven Gerrard and co now know who they will have to beat to get through to the knockouts. Here are the teams Rangers have been drawn against in the group.

Group G – in full

Villarreal CF

SK Rapid Wien

Spartak Moscow

Rangers

Fixture schedule

Matchday 1: Thursday 20 September

Matchday 2: Thursday 4 October

Matchday 3: Thursday 25 October

Matchday 4: Thursday 8 November

Matchday 5: Thursday 29 November

Matchday 6: Thursday 13 November

(More information TBC)

The opponents

(More information TBC)

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The four British clubs in this season’s Europa League have learned who they will face in the competition this season after the draw was made on Friday.

Chelsea and Arsenal both qualified through their league positions in the Premier League. Celtic beat Lithuanian side FK Suduva after dropping down from the Champions League while Rangers came through four qualifying rounds to reach this stage, beating Russian side FC Ufa to reach the competition proper.

The Europa League group stage kicks off on Thursday 20 September while the final will be held in Baku’s Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.

Here are the 12 Europa League groups – in full:

This page is being updated as the draw unfolds…

Group A: 

• Bayer Leverkusen

Group B:

• Salzburg

Group C: 

• Zenit St Petersburg

Group D: 

• Anderlecht

Group E: 

• Arsenal

Group F:

• Olympiakos

Group G: 

• Villarreal

Group H: 

• Lazio

Group I: 

• Besiktas

Group J: 

• Sevilla

Group K: 

• Dynamo Kiev

Group L: 

• Chelsea

Season calendar

Group stage:

Thursday 20 September: Matchday 1

Thursday 4 October: Matchday 2

Thursday 25 October: Matchday 3

Thursday 8 November: Matchday 4

Thursday 29 November: Matchday 5

Thursday 13 November: Matchday 6

Knockout Phase:

14 February:  Round of 32, first leg

21 February: Round of 32, second leg

7 March: Round of 16, first leg

14 March: Round of 16, second leg

11 April: Quarter-finals, first leg

18 April: Quarter-finals, second leg

2 May: Semi-finals, first leg

9 May: Semi-finals, second leg

29 May: Final

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Seven months after his shock ­appointment as England women’s coach, Phil Neville’s first major examination arrives this evening, in Newport, with England meeting Wales in the decisive qualifier for next year’s Women’s World Cup.

It is unthinkable that England, semi-finalists at both the last World Cup and European Championships, favourites to host the next Euros in 2021, world No 4, would miss out on France next summer. However, if they lose to Wales they will be plunged into a daunting play-off series from which qualifying is uncertain.

For Wales, and their manager Jayne Ludlow, tonight represents the opportunity to make history. Ranked 29th in the world they have never qualified for a major women’s tournament and Ludlow described their goalless draw at Southampton in April as “probably the best result in our history”.

Taking no chances

That was Neville’s first competitive game and he said: “It does feel like a defeat.” A real defeat tonight would prompt questions about the Football Association’s decision to appoint a man with no background in the women’s game, minimal management experience, and who did not even apply for the job.

Victory would set the former Manchester United and Everton player up for a tilt at a World Cup in which England would be among the favourites. A draw would do the same though England would have to take a point from their final fixture in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

This should be a formality, but the FA is taking no chances having booked a charter flight for the 3,700-mile journey to Pavlodar.

Neville’s contract runs until Euro 2021 and the FA would stick by him even if England spend next summer kicking their heels, but the criticism of both would be substantial. “It’s not about me,” he said, but that is only partly true.

Relishing the big games

“I don’t feel the pressure. I wanted to become a manager for big games like this,” added Neville whose experience playing in pressure matches is one of the qualities he brings to the job, with knowledge of elite standards, a formidable work ethic and media attention. He has impressed upon the players they, too, should relish the big occasions.

Do not be misled by the modest location, the 8,700-capacity Rodney Parade, chosen by the Welsh to maximise the intensity of their home advantage, this is a big match. With Europe allocated only eight of the 24 finals places it is harder for home nations to qualify for the Women’s World Cup than the men’s. The seven group winners qualify automatically but there is one place available through play-offs featuring the four best-placed runners-up. Wales are yet to concede in seven qualifying matches but they have to score, a feat only achieved seven times.

For both being at a World Cup provides a huge uplift for the domestic game. In England’s case the league begins next weekend after another WSL re-structure creating a full-time division. Tonight will determine whether it launches on a wave of optimism or under a cloud of anxiety.

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