Europa League group fixture - Arsenal to face BATE, Cologne, Red Star

The Europa League fixture is out and Arsenal who missed out on a Champions League berth for the first time under Arsene Wenger, have been drawn alongside BATE Borisov, Cologne and Red Star Belgrade, while Everton, will take on Lyon, Atalanta and Apollon in the group stage.

Arsenal who begin a European campaign outside of the Champions League for the first time since the 1997-98 season will face Belarusian side BATE, Bundesliga outfit Cologne and Serbian club Red Star in Group H.

Meanwhile AC Milan who are competing in their first European campaign since the 2013-14 season, were pitted against Austria Vienna, Rijeka and AEK Athens in Group D.

The other English side in the draw, Everton have been drawn in Group E along with Lyon, Atalanta and Apollon Limassol.

Arsenal, Milan,  Everton and the rest will all be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Manchester United, who landed the trophy in 2016-17 and book a place in the Champions League.

The groups in full:
GROUP A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague
GROUP B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu
GROUP C: Braga, Ludogorets Razgrad, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir
GROUP D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna, NK Rijeka, AEK Athens
GROUP E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol
GROUP F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Sheriff, FC Zlin
GROUP G: Viktoria Plzen, FCSB, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano
GROUP H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade
GROUP I: FC Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor
GROUP J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersunds
GROUP K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem
GROUP L: Zenit St. Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar Skopje

The opening round of fixtures will take place on September 14.