{"id":2937,"date":"2018-08-31T09:28:10","date_gmt":"2018-08-31T14:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=2937"},"modified":"2018-09-02T09:29:49","modified_gmt":"2018-09-02T14:29:49","slug":"old-firm-face-stiff-challenges-in-europa-league-draw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=2937","title":{"rendered":"Old Firm Face Stiff Challenges in Europa League Draw"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Arsenal will take on Sporting Lisbon in the group stage of the Europa League.<\/p>\n

The Gunners, last season’s semi-finalists, were drawn in Group E alongside the Portuguese club, Azerbaijan champions Qarabag and Ukrainian outfit Vorskla.<\/p>\n

Portuguese club Sporting have started their domestic campaign unbeaten despite a troublesome summer that saw seven players cancel their contracts following an attack by fans at the training ground last season.<\/p>\n

Arsenal boss Unai Emery has won the competition three times as manager of Sevilla.<\/p>\n

Chelsea face some long trips on their return to Europe’s second-tier competition for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2013.<\/p>\n

Maurizio Sarri’s Blues have been drawn with Greek side PAOK, Belarusian champions BATE Borisov and Hungarian title winners Vidi in Group L.<\/p>\n

Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers both face difficult draws as they aim to negotiate the group stages.<\/p>\n

Celtic are in Group B with Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg, Bundesliga side RB Leipzig and Norwegian title holders Rosenborg, who the Celts beat in a Champions League qualifier this summer.<\/p>\n

Rangers are back in a European group stage for the first time since the 2010-11 Champions League following their play-off win against Ufa.<\/p>\n

They will return to Russia to face Spartak Moscow in Group G, which also contains LaLiga side Villarreal and Austrian’s Rapid Vienna.<\/p>\n

The final of this season’s Europa League takes place in Baku on May 29.<\/p>\n

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