The 2021/22 UEFA Europa League group stage draw took place on Friday 27 August in Istanbul, Turkey.

2021/22 group stage draw

Group A: Lyon, Rangers, Sparta Praha, Brøndby
Group B: Monaco, PSV Eindhoven, Real Sociedad, Sturm Graz
Group C: Napoli, Leicester, Spartak Moskva, Legia Warszawa
Group D: Olympiacos, Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, Antwerp
Group E: Lazio, Lokomotiv Moskva, Marseille, Galatasaray
Group F: Braga, Crvena zvezda, Ludogorets, Midtjylland
Group G: Leverkusen, Celtic, Real Betis, Ferencváros
Group H: GNK Dinamo, Genk, West Ham, Rapid Wien

How the draw worked

• The 32 clubs were seeded into four groups of eight in accordance with the club coefficient rankings established at the beginning of the season and with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.

• Clubs from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.

Draw pots

UEFA via Getty Images

Pot 1
Lyon (FRA)
Napoli (ITA)
Leverkusen (GER)
GNK Dinamo (CRO)**
Lazio (ITA)
Olympiacos (GRE)*
Monaco (FRA)**
Braga (POR)

Pot 2
Celtic (SCO)*
Frankfurt (GER)
Crvena zvezda (SRB)*
Leicester (ENG)
Rangers (SCO)*
Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS)
Genk (BEL)**
PSV Eindhoven (NED)**

Pot 3
Marseille (FRA)
Ludogorets (BUL)**
West Ham (ENG)
Real Sociedad (ESP)
Real Betis (ESP)
Fenerbahçe (TUR)*
Spartak Moskva (RUS)**
Sparta Praha (CZE)**

Pot 4
Rapid Wien (AUT)*
Galatasaray (TUR)*
Legia Warszawa (POL)*
Midtjylland (DEN)**
Ferencváros (HUN)**
Antwerp (BEL)*
Sturm Graz (AUT)*
Brøndby (DEN)**

12 automatic entrants
*10 UEFA Europa League play-off winners
**10 sides transferring from UEFA Champions League play-offs and third qualifying round (4 from Champions Path, 6 from League Path)

Which clubs were paired?

To ensure that paired clubs from the same country (including those playing in the UEFA Europa Conference League) have different kick-off times where possible, the eight groups were distinguished by colour: Groups A to D red and Groups E to H blue. When a paired club was drawn, for example, in one of the red groups, the other paired club – once drawn – was automatically assigned to one of the blue groups. The pairings were as follows:

A Lyon & Marseille
B Napoli & Lazio
C Leverkusen & Frankfurt
D Olympiacos & UECL
E Monaco & UECL
F Celtic & Rangers
G Crvena zvezda & UECL
H Leicester & West Ham
I Lokomotiv Moskva & Spartak Moskva
J Genk & Antwerp
K PSV Eindhoven & UECL
L Ludogorets & UECL
M Real Sociedad & Real Betis
N Fenerbahçe & Galatasaray
O Rapid Wien & Sturm Graz
P Midtjylland & Brøndby

Match dates

Matchday 1: 16 September
Matchday 2: 30 September
Matchday 3: 21 October
Matchday 4: 4 November
Matchday 5: 25 November
Matchday 6: 9 December

• The group winners will advance to the round of 16.

• The group runners-up will progress to the new knockout round play-offs, where they will face the third-placed UEFA Champions League teams for spots in the round of 16.

• The third-placed teams will transfer to the UEFA Europa Conference League knockout phase, where they will take on the UEFA Europa Conference League group runners-up in the UEFA Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs for places in the round of 16.