This year's Europa League nears the draw for the group stage with Premier League giants Chelsea and Arsenal heavy favourites to win the competition
The Europa League has begun to get underway as the qualifying rounds already being played, and this year's edition features Premier League giants Chelsea and Arsenal after the two London clubs failed to finish in the Premier League top four.
Defending champions Atletico Madrid already qualified for the Champions League following their second-placed finish in La Liga. They will only be able to defend their title should they drop into the Europa League after finishing third in the Champions League.
Steven Gerrard's Rangers team are currently contesting for a group stage spot in the Europa League.
Goal brings you all the details of this year's Europa League campaign including key fixtures, dates, draw details and more.
Favourites to win Europa League 2018-19
FA Cup winners Chelsea are heavy favourites to win a second Europa League this season (priced at 7/1 according to bet365) after a surprise fifth-placed finish in the Premier League, which meant that they failed to qualify for the more esteemed Champions League.
Maurizio Sarri's first full season in charge of the Blues will be a pressure-riddled one as he will be expected to return the west London side to the top-tier of European football, preferably through finishing in the Premier League top four or by winning the Europa League.
A new-look Arsenal featuring new manager Unai Emery are also favourites to win the competition, priced at 9/1 to win. The Gunners were expected to win the competition last year but fell short to eventual champions Atletico Madrid, and Emery – like Sarri – is expected to attain Champions League season for the following campaign.
Europa League 2018-19 underdogs
Sevilla are priced at 16/1 to win the competition after winning the competition a record five times, last winning it in 2016 at the expense of Liverpool in the final.
Sevilla finished disappointingly in 7th place in La Liga though are a strong force in Europe – eliminating Manchester United in the last 16 round of the Champions League last season as well as holding Liverpool to that memorable group stage 3-3 draw after being three goals down at half-time.
AC Milan have odds of 20/1 to better their last 16 finish last season, where they were eliminated from the competition by Arsenal.
The likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Fiorentina, Lazio, Marseille and RB Leipzig are all also priced at 20/1 to win the tournament.
Europa League 2018-19 outsiders
Villarreal are priced at 25/1 to win the Europa League after failing to progress past the last 32 stage in last year's edition, losing to Ligue 1 side Lyon over two legs.
Spanish side Real Betis have odds of 33/1 to emerge as tournament winners after finishing sixth in La Liga – one position better than their neighbours Sevilla.
Europa League 2018-19 qualified teams
This year's Europa League group stage is set to begin on September 20, ending on December 13. 48 teams compete in the group stage to decide 24 of the 32 places in the knockout phase of the competition.
The draw for the group stage will be held on 31 August, which will be followed by 48 teams drawn into twelve groups of four.
Teams participating in the Europa League group stage include:
17 teams which enter in the group stage
8 Champions Path winners of the play-off round
13 Main Path winners of the play-off round
4 Champions Path losers of the Champions League play-off round
2 League Path losers of the Champions League play-off round
4 League Path losers of the Champions League third qualifying round
Europa League 2018-19 fixtures
There are 46 matches to be played in the second qualifying round of the Europa League in 2018-19.
The 23 winners are joined in the third qualifying round by Cork City, Zenit St Petersburg, Olympiakos, Gent, Braga, Feyenoord, Rapid Vienna, Rijeka, Zorya Luhansk, Istanbul Basaksehir, Luzern, Brondby, Sigma Olomouc, Universitatea Craiova and 10 losers from the second qualifying round of the Champions League.
The final round before the group stage, the play off round, will include all the winners from the previous round and six losers from the Champions League third qualifying round.
Europa League 2018-19 - Route to Final
The final of this year's Europa League will take place on May 29 at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan.