Europa League draw: Arsenal, Chelsea face intriguing encounters

Oli Fisher

Arsenal will face off against Ligue 1 side Rennes in the Europa League last 16, while Chelsea face Ukranian powerhouses Dynamo Kiev.

The first legs of the last-16 ties are set for March 7, with the returns taking place on March 14 as both Premier League clubs look to stay on course for the final in Baku.

Arsenal progressed from the round of 32 with a 3-1 aggregate win over BATE Borisov, overturning a first-leg loss in Belarus with a 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.

Chelsea, meanwhile, defeated Malmo, winning the second leg 3-0 at Stamford Bridge to add to a 2-1 away triumph in Sweden.

Both English clubs will be at home in the first leg.

Friday’s draw was not protected by any seeding, but teams from Russia and Ukraine were kept apart. Dynamo Kiev were first out and drew Chelsea.

Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt of Germany were paired with Serie A side Inter Milan, Dinamo Zagreb will play Portuguese outfit Benfica, while Napoli tackle Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg.

Valencia, who knocked out Celtic, have been pitted against Russian club Krasnodar, while former winners Sevilla face Slavia Prague and Zenit St Petersburg play Villarreal.