Winners and Losers from Europa League Round-of-32 Draw
The UEFA Europa League round-of-32 draw has taken place, and there are some stonking fixtures on offer. Post-Christmas viewing in this competition will not disappoint.
Here, Bleacher Report takes a look at the winners and losers of the draw. Who got an easy lot, which teams are set for thousands of miles travelling and which fixtures promise the most excitement?
Offer your thoughts in the comments below!
Loser: Feyenoord, Who Drew the Shortest of Straws
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Feyenoord worked hard this year to top Europa League Group G, pipping defending champions Sevilla to the post and ensuring a top-seed entry to the round-of-32 draw.
Their reward? Roma, who dropped out of the Champions League following defeat to Manchester City on Matchday 6. The Giallorossi were not seeded as they were one of the four worst-performing third-placed finishers in the UCL.
For Feyenoord, this really stings. For the seeding process and organisation, it opens a lot of questions.
Winner: Ajax, Who Landed a Favourable Draw
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Where Feyenoord fell foul of the process, Ajax had themselves a wonderful day on Monday.
Dropping in from the Champions League as a third-place finisher behind Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, De Godenzonen landed Legia Warsaw as a round-of-32 opponent.
Legia won Group L, but it was a weakened set, including Trabzonspor, Lokeren and Metalist Kharkiv. Looking at the remarkably high number of closely contested, tighter draws, Ajax have done well here.
Loser: Olympiacos, Who Were Given a Sizable Test
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Olympiacos don't travel too well in European competitions and will have been hoping for a kinder draw to get themselves going.
They got nothing of the sort, with UEFA placing them alongside Dnipro in what will be a grueling examination. Travelling to Ukraine is one thing, but having to take on Eugene Konoplyanka and Co. is another matter entirely.
Winner: History Buffs Who Love Narratives and Links in Football
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Besiktas are temporarily playing home games at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium—the 76,000-seater that hosted the 2005 Champions League final between Liverpool and Milan.
How fitting, then, for the Reds to return to the Ataturk 10 years on from that achievement, although the circumstances in which it has happened are slightly regrettable. Demba Ba will be tasked with downing Liverpool again.
Elsewhere, Internazionale and Celtic drew each other, conjuring memories of Jock Stein vs. Helenio Herrera. In the 1960s these clubs did battle frequently at the summit of football.
Those who love these links in football will have been smiling reading the draw results. Tom Williams of the Agence France-Presse discussed the link:
"Besiktas and Demba Ba in Istanbul. Steven Gerrard's greatest triumph and greatest disaster united in one match.
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) December 15, 2014"
Loser: Napoli, Who Will See Trabzonspor as a Distraction
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It's not going that well for Napoli this season; their current five-game streak without a win is symbolic of a topsy-turvy season in which the club have failed to kick on and challenge.
With Rafa Benitez under pressure following summer disagreements over transfer funds, poor form is the last thing he needed. Now, with a trip to Turkey on the horizon against a stubborn Trabzonspor side, Benitez will be required to split resources and time even farther.
What's the betting the Partenopei just throw this one away?
Winner: Football Hipsters, Who Have Two or Three Intriguing Games to Watch
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If you're not a fan of any particular club in the UEFA Europa League round-of-32 draw, you're always looking for intriguing neutral ties.
Football's European aficionados and hipsters will have been delighted to see three very interesting matchups drawn, then, with Wolfsburg taking on Sporting, PSV Eindhoven playing Zenit St. Petersburg and Sevilla tackling Borussia Monchengladbach.
Ricardo Rodriguez, Kevin de Bruyne, William Carvalho, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Raffael, Andre Villas-Boas, Axel Witsel, Memphis Depay and more. Tasty.
