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Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images
The Reds know they’ll be heading to Austria, Belgium, and France in their Europa League group this autumn.
If one were in charge of a major European football competition and wanted to put the draw for it on a day that would highlight that it was in fact a major European football competition and not an afterthought, they probably wouldn’t pick transfer deadline day.
UEFA being UEFA, on the other hand, chose to put the draw for the group stage of the 2023-24 Europa League smack dab on transfer deadline day for most of Europe’s top football leagues. Without further ado, then, here’s who Liverpool are set to face.
The Reds were drawn first to headline Group E, with LASK, Austria’s third-place finishers from last season, drawn second into the group. Belgium’s third-place Union SG then drew into the group third, with Coupe de France winners Toulouse the fourth club.
On paper it’s a group that should make for a few unique away days for the fans to Linz, Brussels, and Toulouse and that should see the Reds heavily favoured to advance. The group stage of the tournament is set to kick off on Thursday, September 21st.
Elsewhere, West Ham drew Olympiacos, Freiburg, and TSC Backa Topola into their group while Brighton were third drawn into a group with Ajax, Marseille, Brighton, and AEK Athens that on paper at least has a case for being the Europa League’s toughest.
