English clubs Bournemouth and Sunderland have drawn the spotlight in this season’s Europa League group stage, both set to face the illustrious AC Milan in highly anticipated fixtures. The draw has paired these two English sides with some of Europe’s notable teams, marking a significant moment in their recent footballing histories.
For Bournemouth, this campaign represents their debut in European competition, following a sixth-place finish in last season’s Premier League. Managed by Marco Rose, Bournemouth will welcome the seven-time European champions AC Milan to the south coast, promising a thrilling encounter for fans. Alongside Milan, Bournemouth’s group will include Czech outfit Viktoria Plzen, Austrian side Sturm Graz, and Israeli champions Hapoel Be’er Sheva, all of whom will visit Bournemouth’s home ground.
On the road, Bournemouth faces trips to Spain to meet Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo, while also traveling to Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic and Lillestrom, last year’s Norwegian Cup winners.
Sunderland Return to Europe After Five Decades
Sunderland, finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, will be experiencing European football for the first time since 1973. Their campaign will feature a memorable visit to the iconic San Siro to face AC Milan. Additionally, Sunderland will travel to Belgium to challenge former UEFA Cup winners Anderlecht, while hosting Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, and Bulgarian club Levski Sofia at home.
The English side’s group also includes two Polish teams, Jagiellonia Bialystok and Lech Poznan, alongside a trip to Portugal to face Torreense, a relatively small second-division club from Torres Vedras, near Lisbon. Torreense made headlines as last season’s surprise winners of the Portuguese Cup and are expected to host their European matches at Estadi.