Olympiacos to play Arsenal in UEL knockout stage
Olympiacos have been pitted against Arsenal in the draw for the Last 32 of the UEFA Europa League.
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Olympiacos are on their way to England for the second time in the current European campaign. In the UEFA Champions League group phase, Olympiacos produced two credible performances against Tottenham Hotspur, and the Piraeus-based club will return to London again in February for a Europa League duel with Arsenal. The Gunners were one of the most difficult available opponents for Olympiacos in the Europa League Round of 32 draw.
The Erythrolefki were unseeded for the draw having only registered four points in Group B of the Champions League against Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Red Star Belgrade. Olympiacos required a late penalty from Youssef El Arabi to beat Red Star 1-0 at home last week and drop down into the Europa League.
Olympiacos will host the first leg in Piraeus on February 20, before the return takes place at the Emirates Stadium on February 27.
Arsenal, who have struggled in recent years, picked up 11 points in Group F of the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt, Standard Liege and Vitoria Guimaraes. The Londoners, currently languishing in a lowly ninth place of the English Premier League with only 22 points from 17 games, recently sacked Spanish manager Unai Emery. Freddie Ljungberg is now working as their caretaker boss.
Olympiacos and Arsenal have regularly played against each other in the Champions League over the course of the past 10 years.
Elsewhere, perennial giantkillers APOEL were handed a favourable draw, placed in a pairing with FC Basel. APOEL defeated Sevilla, Qarabag and Dudelange to secure another impressive qualification to the knockout stages of a major European competition.
Full result of the draw for the Last 32 of the 2019/2020 UEFA Europa League:
