Kind draws for Gunners, Blues

– Marseille, last season’s beaten Europa League finalists, were drawn with Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt in a strong Europa League group yesterday.

Arsenal were handed a seemingly easier task against Sporting Lisbon, Azerbaijani club Qarabag and Vorskla of Ukraine.

The other English club in Europe’s second-tier competition, Chelsea, will play PAOK Salonika, BATE Borisov from Belarus and Hungarians Vidi.

Scottish champions Celtic are in a group that includes the two Red Bull-owned clubs – Salzburg, a beaten semifinalist last season, and Leipzig – as well as Rosenborg of Norway.

Rangers face a tough task progressing on their return to Europe against Villarreal, Rapid Vienna and Spartak Moscow.

Dudelange, the first club from Luxembourg to reach the group stage of the competition, were handed a trip to the San Siro to play AC Milan, who have won eight European trophies, and will also face Real Betis and Olympiakos.

Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice in last season’s final as Atletico Madrid beat Marseille 3-0, was named the best Europa League player of last season.

The first round of matches will be played on Thursday, September 20. – Reuters

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