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Europa League last 16 draw in full: Chelsea vs Dynamo Kiev, Arsenal vs Rennes

Mopays.com

February 22, 2019

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English sides avoid big guns in Europa League as Chelsea face Dynamo Kiev and Arsenal are drawn against Rennes

Chelsea face a tricky tie against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League round of 16
The Blues will have to make a 3,000-mile round trip to Ukraine in second leg
Unai Emery’s Arsenal meanwhile have been drawn against Ligue 1 side Rennes
Arsenal keeper Petr Cech, retiring this season, previously played for Rennes

Matthew Smith For Mail Online

Published:
07:18 EST, 22 February 2019

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Updated:
07:44 EST, 22 February 2019

Chelsea face a tricky tie against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League round of 16, while Arsenal will play Rennes.

The Blues were part of the first tie drawn out on Friday lunchtime, and will have to travel to Ukraine in the second leg – a 3,000-mile round trip.

The Gunners meanwhile will face Ligue 1 club Rennes, who beat Real Betis in the round of 32.

Arsenal and Chelsea have found out their opponents for the Europa League round of 16

Chelsea discovered their opponents hours after being given a transfer ban by FIFA

DYNAMO KIEV FACTS

Stadium: NSK Olimpisky, with a capacity of 70,050

Best player: Ukraine international winger Viktor Tsyhankov, 21

Manager: Aleksandr Khatskevich

How they got here: Eliminated in Champions League qualifying by Ajax, they came through a Europa League group containing Rennes, Jabonlec and Astana, before beating Olympiakos in the round of 32.

European history: Twice European Cup Winners’ Cup champions, they have never made the Champions League or Europa League final.

RENNES FACTS

Stadium: Roazhon Park, with a capacity of 29,778

Best player: Senegal international winger Ismaila Sarr, 20

Manager: Julien Stephan

How they got here: Entered into the Europa League group stage, they finished second in Group K behind Dynamo Kiev. Won an exciting round of 32 tie with Real Betis – 3-3 in the first leg, before winning 3-1 in Spain.

European history: Their only small taste of continental success was the 2008 Intertoto Cup. Never a CL or EL finalist.

Chelsea came through their round of 32 tie against Malmo with relative ease, winning 5-1 on aggregate, while Arsenal had to come from behind against BATE Borisov – they lost 1-0 in Ukraine, but won the second leg 3-0 in north London.

The draw has been relatively kind to the Premier League sides however, as they avoided the competition’s biggest names including Sevilla, Napoli and Inter Milan.

The two English clubs could have been drawn together, as there are no restrictions on nationalities facing each other at this stage – but an all-English tie was avoided.

For Petr Cech, Arsenal’s goalkeeper who retires at the end of this season, this draw is an emotional one – he played for Rennes before moving to English football with Chelsea.

Arsenal have been drawn against Rennes, the former club of their goalkeeper, Petr Cech

Maurixio Sarri will not be reunited with former club Napoli, as Chelsea face Dynamo Kiev

Sevilla, who won the competition three years in a row between 2014 and 2016, face Slavia Prague, while Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri will have to wait for a reunion with former club Napoli as they face Red Bull Salzburg.

Inter take on Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, while Valencia – who ended the European dreams of Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic – face Russian club Krasnodar.

Dinamo Zagreb play Benfica, while Zenit v Villarreal was the final tie drawn out by former Sevilla and Valencia goalkeeper Andres Palop, who conducted the draw.