There will be no Spanish duel in the eighth finals of the Europa League this season, and that matters for fans across North America who follow the competition closely. If Barcelona can topple Manchester United and Sevilla can defeat PSV, four Spanish teams would advance to the round of 16, joining Betis and Real Sociedad who already secured their spots. In practical terms, that means a potential Spanish-heavy knockout stage is on the table, yet a direct intra-country clash in this round is off the table by rule.
That is why a Spanish team cannot face another Spanish team in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 for the 2022-2023 season. The competition’s drawing procedure is designed to both reward teams that performed well in the group stage and ensure diversity in matches. The key rules are straightforward and worth noting for Canadian and American fans tracking the tournament:
• The top eight teams from the Europa League group stage are seeded to start the knockout phase. The remaining eight teams that win the playoff knockout rounds are not seeded. This seed structure helps determine home advantage and order of play in the two-legged ties.
• Among the qualified teams, the strongest performers from the group stage earn the right to host the second leg. This is a meaningful advantage in European knockout ties, where the second leg can decide the overall outcome in front of a passionate home crowd.
• Clubs from the same national federation cannot be drawn against each other in the round of 16. This rule changes the possible matchups and prevents a domestic rematch so early in the knockout rounds, which adds a strategic layer for coaches and fans alike.
In the list of eight group stage winners who are seeded, the participants include strong contenders from across Europe. Arsenal from England, Betis from Spain, Fenerbahce from Turkey, Ferencvaros from Hungary, Feyenoord from the Netherlands, Freiburg from Germany, Real Sociedad from Spain, and Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium stand as the seeded teams entering the knockout rounds.
For the eight unseeded playoff winners, the lineup features a mix of traditional powerhouses and rising clubs. Ajax from the Netherlands, Union Berlin from Germany, Barcelona from Spain, Manchester United from England, Juventus from Italy, Nantes from France, Leverkusen from Germany, Monaco from France, Salzburg from Austria, Rome from Italy, Sevilla from Spain, PSV Eindhoven from the Netherlands, Shakhtar from Ukraine, Rennes from France, Sporting CP from Portugal, and Central Jutland from Denmark fill the slate. The spread of clubs highlights the global reach of the Europa League and the diverse paths teams take to the knockout rounds.
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