Europa League Draw 2014-15: Full List of Fixtures, Dates for Round of 32
Monday's Europa League round-of-32 draw carried a touch of Champions League flavour as the opening knockout ties of Europe's second-tier competition were determined in Nyon, Switzerland.
The eight third-place finishers from this season's Champions League group phase dropped into the draw along with those clubs who finished first and second in their Europa League groups.
Liverpool return to Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium—the scene of their 2004-05 Champions League triumph—where they'll meet Besiktas in the second leg of their clash.
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As Eurosport and Daniel Storey of Sky Football point out, the fixture sets Steven Gerrard on a collision course with ex-Chelsea man Demba Ba, who infamously capitalised upon the Reds captain's Anfield slip last season:
The Premier League's other representatives, Everton and Tottenham, will take on Young Boys and Fiorentina, respectively, with Spurs being dealt a particularly tricky obstacle in their hunt to advance.
La Viola's compatriots Inter will travel to face 1966-67 European Cup winners Celtic in the first leg of their tie, while reigning champions Sevilla have no easy task in overcoming in-form Borussia Monchengladbach.
Bleacher Report UK confirmed the round-of-32 schedule:
The first legs will be played on Feb. 19, with the return fixtures to be played on February 26.
Must-Watch Matchups
Tottenham vs. Fiorentina
An intriguing clash of European would-be giants struggling for form sees Tottenham play Fiorentina in a fixture that Julian De Martinis of ESPN sees as the best fixture of the entire round:
"Fiorentina-Spurs though surely the pick of the bunch. Two big teams that are really struggling this season.
— Julian De Martinis (@JulianDM11) December 15, 2014"
La Viola topped Group K in convincing fashion after beating Guingamp to top spot, while Spurs were left to settle for second in Group C, losing 1-0 to Besiktas in a decisive last encounter.
Tancredi Palmeri of beIN Sports saw the pair as semi-final contenders, adding that it's unfortunate two such strong teams should meet this early in the tournament:
Fiorentina sit eighth in Serie A, but come into the round of 32 after falling to Dinamo Minsk in their last Europa League outing. Tottenham, meanwhile, sit seventh in the English top flight, with three wins in their last six domestic fixtures.
Liverpool vs. Besiktas
Liverpool will hope the motivation of a return to Istanbul will help them in their pursuit of European glory. The figures of 2005 may be long gone, but even the Anfield stars of today can look to that Champions League win for inspiration.
As Squawka shows, the Reds' last meeting with Besiktas was a majorly successful one:
A lot has changed in seven years, though, and Liverpool looked uninspired in a recent 1-1 draw against Basel, the result which prevented them from progressing in the Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers will hope Daniel Sturridge can go about his recovery uninterrupted and make a return to the squad in time for their February meeting, his absence telling in the club's search for a consistent scoring threat.
Besiktas topped Group C and battled past Spurs in their final pool fixture to earn a priority seed, but the draw has been slightly unkind in handing them another Premier League opponent with the potential to go far.
Sevilla vs. Borussia Monchengladbach
Another matchup of European giants means that title defenders Sevilla will once again need to show their credentials if they're to take up a spot in the round of 16.
Borussia Monchengladbach are currently fourth in the Bundesliga, level on points and goal difference with third-place Bayer Leverkusen as they seek a place in next season's Champions League.
Jamie Kemp of Inside Spanish Football picks out this tie as one of the more promising round-of-32 clashes, Sevilla also sitting fourth in La Liga at present:
At their optimum, either one of these teams would be considered likely parties to challenge for the 2014-15 Europa League title, but Sevilla may see their defence come to a premature end against the Group A winners.
