How good are the teams Liverpool will face in the group stage as they begin their first Europa League campaign since reaching the final in 2016?
The Reds were assigned to Group E at the UEFA draw in Monaco at the beginning of September, along with LASK, Toulouse, and Union SG.
Jurgen Klopp will anticipate a straightforward path to the round of 16. Liverpool would skip the round of the last 32 if they won their group.
The Reds have trips planned to Austria, France, and Belgium, but what can supporters anticipate from the six group stage matches?
The teams we will play this season in the Europa League are listed below in a brief guide.
Liverpool begins their European tour with a trip to Austria to play LASK in what will be the two teams’ first-ever encounter.
After defeating Zrinjski Mostar over the course of two legs in the last qualifying round, they earned their berth in Group E and finished third in the Austrian Bundesliga last season.
The Austrian team has faced Premier League opponents before; back in 2020, they met Man United in the round of 16.
One senior international plays for LASK, compared to six for Union SG and seven for Toulouse. Andres Andrade, a player for Panama, is that person.
Unlike LASK, Liverpool has faced Toulouse before. The two teams last faced off in a 2007 Champions League qualifying match.
On that occasion, Rafa Benitez led his team to a 5-0 overall victory, advancing them to their third consecutive semi-final.
Toulouse were 13th in Ligue 1 last year, but they qualified for Europe courtesy to a shocking victory in the Coupe de France, where they thrashed Nantes 5-1.
Union SG, who was playing in the second tier of Belgian football just three years ago, is now participating in European competition, which is kind of like a fairytale.
After a 48-year absence, they rejoined the Belgian Pro League in 2021–2022, and their third-place performance in the previous year secured their spot in the top division.
Had Rangers not eliminated Union SG in the qualifying round before being placed in Liverpool’s group, Liverpool might have faced them in the Champions League last season.
Last season, the Belgian team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Europa League, but Xabi Alonso, a former Red, ended their run by defeating them while leading Bayer Leverkusen.
