Europa League draw: Hammers handed winnable group on debut

West Ham have been handed a winnable Europa League group as they enter that stage of the competition for the first time.

The Hammers will face Dinamo Zagreb, Belgian side Genk and Rapid Vienna in Group H after avoiding both Rangers and Celtic in the draw.

For Leicester, a trip to Napoli will provide the sternest test in Group C, with Spartak Moscow and Legia Warsaw the other sides they will play.

Steven Gerrard’s Gers are with Lyon, Sparta Prague and Danish side Brondby in Group A, while Celtic are in Group G alongside Bayer Leverkusen, Real Betis and Ferencvaros.

Europa League groups

Group A: Lyon, Rangers, Sparta Prague, Brondby

Group B: Monaco, PSV Eindhoven, Real Sociedad, Sturm Graz

Group C: Napoli, Leicester, Spartak Moscow, Legia Warsaw

Group D: Olympiacos, Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, Royal Antwerp

Group E: Lazio, Lokomotiv Moscow, Marseille, Galatasaray

Group F: Braga, Red Star Belgrade, Ludogorets, Midtjylland

Group G: Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic, Real Betis, Ferencvaros

Group H: Dinamo Zagreb, Genk, West Ham, Rapid Vienna

When will the Europa League group stage games take place?

Each group will see the four teams play each other home and away, making for six matchdays.

The action gets going on September 16, with the final group games taking place on December 9.

Key dates for your diary

Matchday 1: September 16

Matchday 2: September 30

Matchday 3: October 21 

Matchday 4: November 4 

Matchday 5: November 25

Matchday 6: December 9

How does the Europa League group stage work?

Each team plays each other twice in the group stage, once at home and once away.

Due to the introduction of the Europa Conference League, the knockout phase has changed this season.

The eight group winners progress straight to the last 16, while the eight runners-up will face the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage in a preliminary knockout round.

And the clubs who finish third in the Europa League groups drop down to play in the preliminary knockout round of the Europa Conference League.

The Europa League final 2021-22

This season’s Europa League final will be held at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in Seville, Spain, on May 18, 2022. 

The venue was initially chosen to host the 2020-21 final but was knocked back a year due to issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.