Europa League 2026-27 league-phase draw: Every away day for English, Scottish fans

The 2026-27 Europa League league phase draw has been completed, and English and Scottish fans now know where their clubs will be travelling this season.

The draw took place on Friday 28 August in Monaco, with three Premier League sides and one Scottish club set to feature in the 36-team format.

Unlike the Champions League, where five English clubs are competing, the Europa League features just three Premier League sides this year – with one coming via the Conference League title win.

Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland represent English football in the competition, while Celtic dropped into the Europa League after their heartbreaking Champions League play-off exit to LASK. All four clubs will play eight matches in the league phase, with four fixtures at home and four away, against eight different opponents.

Here, Football Ground Guide breaks down every away day for the English and Scottish clubs competing in the 2026-27 Europa League league phase.

Bournemouth

Away days: Real Sociedad, Sparta Praha, Celta Vigo, and Lillestrom

Bournemouth make their first-ever appearance in European club football after a sixth-place Premier League finish, and their away itinerary brings trips across some of the continent’s most storied footballing destinations.

The Dorset club’s European baptism will feature some genuine tests against established European operators.

First up is a trip to Spain to face Real Sociedad at Anoeta. The Basque club’s ground in San Sebastian is one of La Liga’s most atmospheric venues, and a visit to one of Spain’s finest footballing institutions will be a proper European occasion for Bournemouth supporters.

Prague brings a fixture against Sparta Praha, one of Czech football’s most dominant forces. The Czech team play at the epet ARENA, and Bournemouth will encounter a side with genuine continental know-how and an intimidating home atmosphere.

Galicia provides another away day when Bournemouth travel to face Celta Vigo. The club’s Balaidos stadium is one of La Liga’s great grounds, situated in the north-west of Spain and offering Bournemouth supporters the chance to experience one of Spain’s most traditional footballing regions.

The final away fixture takes the Cherries north to Norway, where they will face Lillestrom at their Arasen Stadion just outside Oslo.

Bournemouth verdict:

Best trip: Real Sociedad

Best atmosphere: Sparta Praha

Best ground: Balaidos (Celta Vigo)

Sunderland

Away days: AC Milan, Anderlecht, Lech Poznan and Torreense

Sunderland’s return to European football for the first time since 1974 brings an away itinerary that will test supporters’ dedication and resources, but offers the sort of occasions that many thought had gone forever for the north-east club.

The standout fixture and perhaps the standout fixture across all four British clubs’ Europa League campaigns is the trip to Milan to face AC Milan at the San Siro.

One of world football’s most iconic stadiums, the Giuseppe Meazza is a place where history echoes through every corner. For Sunderland fans making the journey from the Stadium of Light, a night under the floodlights at the San Siro represents the sort of European occasion that defines football at this level.

Sunderland will also travel to Belgium to face Anderlecht in Brussels, where they will encounter one of Belgian football’s most successful clubs with a proud European history. The Constant Vanden Stock Stadium provides an atmospheric setting for one of the continent’s traditional powers.

Poland brings a trip to Poznan to face Lech Poznan, a side with genuine continental experience and a ground where away sides can expect a hostile reception. It’s the sort of trip that requires commitment from travelling supporters, but offers an authentic European away day experience.

The final away fixture takes Sunderland to Portugal to face Torreense, a smaller club but one that qualified for this competition after a stunning 2-1 win against Sporting CP in the final of the Portuguese Cup.

Sunderland verdict:

Best trip: AC Milan

Best atmosphere: AC Milan

Best ground: AC Milan

Crystal Palace

Away days: Olympique Lyonnais, RB Salzburg, Jagiellonia  and Besiktas

Crystal Palace qualified for the Europa League as Conference League champions, and their status as defending continental winners brings a European pedigree to their away campaign.

Palace’s four away fixtures offer a compelling mix of established European operators and emerging challengers.

A trip to France brings Palace to Lyon, where they will face Olympique Lyonnais at the Groupama Stadium. The club is one of French football’s traditional powerhouses, with seven Ligue 1 titles to their name and a ground that has hosted some of European football’s greatest nights. It will be a proper test for Palace supporters heading east from London.

Austria provides a fixture against RB Salzburg at the Red Bull Arena. The Austrian champions play attacking, high-intensity football and their stadium in Salzburg creates an intense environment. It’s a fixture against one of Europe’s most progressive clubs, and a very different challenge from the French trip.

Poland brings Crystal Palace to face Jagiellonia in Bialystok, a city in the far north-east of the country. Jagiellonia have qualified for this competition and represent the sort of Eastern European football that can prove difficult for visiting sides. The Stadion Miejski provides an unwelcoming atmosphere for away fans.

The standout fixture comes in Turkey, where Palace will travel to Istanbul to face Besiktas at the Vodafone Park. The Turkish giants’ home ground is one of European football’s most intimidating venues, renowned for creating an electric and hostile atmosphere. It’s a genuine heavyweight occasion and one of the competition’s most significant away days for any British club this season.

Crystal Palace verdict:

Best trip: Besiktas (for atmosphere, if not comfort)

Best atmosphere: Besiktas

Best ground: Groupama Stadium (Lyon)

Celtic

Away days: Benfica, Union Saint-Gilloise, Omonia Nicosia and Torreense

Celtic’s drop into the Europa League following their Champions League play-off collapse against LASK was a bitter pill to swallow, but their away fixture list still offers some of the competition’s most compelling European occasions.

The Hoops have been handed a demanding itinerary that includes some genuinely significant European nights.

First up is a trip to Benfica in Portugal, where Celtic will face one of European football’s greatest institutions at the Estadio da Luz. The Portuguese giants have a proud history in continental competition, and their stadium in Lisbon is one of Europe’s finest modern grounds. It’s the sort of heavyweight occasion that defines European football.

Belgium brings a fixture against Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels, where Celtic will face one of Belgian football’s most historic clubs. Union play at the Stade Joseph Marien, an atmospheric ground in the Belgian capital where away sides can expect a passionate reception.

A trip to Cyprus sees Celtic face Omonia Nicosia at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia. It’s a different kind of away day, a Mediterranean destination that offers something different to the traditional European cities—but Omonia are a well-established side in Cypriot football.

The final away fixture takes Celtic back to Portugal to face Torreense. After their opening trip to Benfica, another Portuguese away day might seem familiar, but Torreense’s Estadio da Bela Vista will not be hosting; it will be at Estádio Algarve Torreense's traditional home ground, the Estadio Manuel Marques in Torres Vedras, only holds around 2,400 to 2,500 spectators and does not meet strict UEFA stadium category regulations for European tournament hosting.

Celtic verdict:

Best trip: Benfica

Best atmosphere: Benfica

Best ground: Estadio da Luz (Benfica)

 

FGG says:

For three Premier League sides and one Scottish giant, the 2026-27 Europa League has delivered a compelling European campaign. Sunderland’s trip to the San Siro stands as perhaps the most iconic away day across all four clubs’ itineraries—a return to continental football after 52 years away, and a chance to test themselves at one of world football’s most legendary grounds.

Crystal Palace’s fixture at Besiktas in Istanbul promises to be one of the competition’s most atmospherically intense occasions, while Celtic, despite their Champions League disappointment, still have the chance to play Benfica – one of Europe’s greatest clubs- at a stadium that ranks among the continent’s finest.

For Bournemouth, meanwhile, their inaugural European campaign includes trips to Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo, two of Spain’s most established clubs and a journey north to Lillestrom that represents the continent-spanning nature of modern European football.