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For the first time ever, AC Milan will play in the Europa League League Phase this season and ahead of tomorrow’s draw, here is a complete guide. After an underwhelming season, Milan will head back into the Europa League pot tomorrow. However, they will play in the first stage for the first time since the changes made by UEFA. As a result, there is a possibility of some confusion. Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial! Though it is quite simple once you’ve got the hang of it. Europa League format Like in the Champions League, teams are placed into four pots based on several factors, which creates the UEFA coefficient. For the Rossoneri, their figure is rather high thanks to their history and status in UEFA competitions. Of course, this means that they have taken a hit in recent years due to poor performances. However, they still rank as one of the highest teams in the competition. So, they’ll sit in Pot A. When the Diavolo are picked out, they will be drawn against eight teams, facing two teams from each pot from A to D, ensuring an even set of fixtures. Half of these games will be played at home, whilst the other half will be played away from San Siro. The goal is to finish in the Top Eight, which secures automatic qualification into the final 16. This has proven to be a bit of a challenge, too. In the first season the new stage was introduced, 14 points were enough for qualification. Last year, though, the figure rose to 16 points. Failing to qualfy for the Top Eight doesn’t see you eliminated. Instead, if you finish between ninth and 24th you’ll play a two-legged tie to get into the final 16, so it’s not all doom and gloom if you don’t qualify instantly. However, the past four finalists have all come from a Top Eight finish. Date, time, venue and how to watch The draw will take place on Friday 28 August from 13:00 CEST in Monaco. It will be streamed live online via the Europa League website and UEFA YouTube channel. Below are the dates of the various rounds in the league phase and beyond: ➤ Matchday 1: September 16/17 ➤ Matchday 2: October 15 ➤ Matchday 3: October 22 ➤ Matchday 4: November 5 ➤ Matchday 5: November 26 ➤ Matchday 6: December 10 ➤ Matchday 7: January 21 ➤ Matchday 8: January 28 ➤ Knockout play-offs: February 18-25 ➤ Round of 16: March 11-18 ➤ Quarterfinals: April 8-15 ➤ Semifinals: April 29-May 6 ➤ Final: May 26 We have previously looked at how it’ll fit into the Rossoneri’s schedule, so that may be worth considering, too. Possible opponents There are still a few teams left to qualify, but below are the teams that have already been confirmed for a place and a pot. As a reminder, Milan will face two teams per pot: Pot one - Bayer Leverkusen - Juventus - AC Milan - Lyon - AZ Alkmaar - Olympiakos - Real Sociedad - Marseille Pot one or two - Union Saint-Gilloise Pot two - Dinamo Zagreb - Celtic - Sparta Prague - Rennes Pot two or three - Sturm Graz - Crystal Palace - Bournemouth - Sunderland Pot three - Celje - Celta Vigo Pot three or four - TSG Hoffenheim - Torreense - Hapoel Be’er Sheva - NEC Nijmegen Pot four - Levski Sofia Teams still to be decided As stated, there are a few teams that have not yet been allocated into different pots, but that will be changed with the results from tonight’s fixtures. Below are the teams who are still yet to qualify for the Europa League this season: - Winner of Trabzonspor vs Ferencvaros - Winner of Universitatea Craiova vs Ararat-Armenia - Winner of Sint-Truiden vs Omonia - Winner of Red Star Belgrade vs Viktoria Plzen - Winner of Egnatia vs Lillestrom - Winner of Jagiellonia Bialystok vs Iberia 1999 - Winner of Mjallby AFG vs Red Bull Salzburg - Winner of Kairat vs Anderlecht - Winner of Lech Poznan vs Thun - Winner of Besiktas vs Kauno Zalgiris - Winner of Benfica vs AGF