Bournemouth and Sunderland face AC Milan in Europa League

Bournemouth and Sunderland have secured glamorous matchups against AC Milan after the UEFA Europa League draw took place on Friday. These two English clubs now face eight opponents each within their continental campaigns. Bournemouth returns to a European stage for the first time following a sixth-place Premier League finish last season. They will host seven-time champions Milan at their south coast venue. Marco Rose's squad also plays home games against Viktoria Plzen, Sturm Graz, and Hapoel Beersheba. Their away fixtures include Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo, Sparta Prague, and Lillestrom. Sunderland earned a return to European football since 1973 after finishing seventh in the Premier League. Fans can expect a trip to San Siro for their Milan clash. They will also visit Anderlecht while hosting AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb, Levski Sofia, Jagiellonia Bialystok, and Lech Poznan. Their final opponent is Torreense, the small Portuguese side who won last season's cup. This tiny club from Torres Vedras will host matches at Estadio do Algarve near Faro instead of their local ground.

Crystal Palace joined the third pot as Conference League winners under new French manager Pierre Sage. They play Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, Lech Poznan, and Hoffenheim at home. Away games include Lyon, Salzburg, Jagiellonia, and Besiktas in Istanbul. Celtic missed Champions League qualification after a shocking loss to LASK but landed in the Europa League. The Scottish champions will host Marseille while visiting Benfica, Celta Vigo, Besiktas, and Torreense. Other notable teams feature Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus among the field. Juventus holds three titles of the tournament's predecessor, the UEFA Cup. Fixture dates for the league phase arrive over the weekend with matches starting September 16 and 17. The final will occur in Frankfurt on May 26, 2027. Aston Villa claimed last season's trophy by defeating Freiburg in Istanbul.

Brighton and Hove Albion represents the Premier League in the Conference League where English sides have won three of the past four years. Their standout home game features Monaco while they also host Universitatea Craiova and Kauno Zalgiris. Away opponents include Panathinaikos, Getafe, Jablonec, Atalanta, Ajax, Freiburg, Hearts, and Trabzonspor. Hearts will notably host Monaco before traveling to Turkey for Trabzonspor and visiting Swiss champions Thun. The Conference League final takes place on June 2, 2027 in Istanbul at Besiktas's home stadium. These draws set the stage for a competitive year filled with travel and tactical battles across Europe.