Sunderland and Bournemouth were drawn against AC Milan in the Europa League league phase, with Palace facing Lyon, Real Sociedad and Besiktas

Sunderland and AFC Bournemouth were both drawn against AC Milan in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase after the draw in Monaco on Friday 28 August 2026.

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Sunderland will visit the San Siro. It is the club’s first European campaign since 1973, earned by a seventh-place finish in the Premier League. Bournemouth, in Europe for the first time after finishing sixth, will host Milan.

Each side plays eight league-phase matches, four home and four away. Sunderland’s full list is AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb, Jagiellonia Białystok and Levski Sofia at home, and Milan, Anderlecht, Lech Poznań and Torreense away.

Bournemouth’s eight are Milan, Real Sociedad, Viktoria Plzeň and Hapoel Be’er Sheva at home, and Sparta Prague, Sturm Graz, Celta Vigo and Lillestrøm away.

Crystal Palace, winners of last season’s Conference League, were widely seen as taking the hardest English path.

Palace will play Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, Lech Poznań and Hoffenheim at home, and Lyon, Red Bull Salzburg, Jagiellonia Białystok and Besiktas away.

It is their first Europa League campaign after they were removed from last season’s competition for breaching multi-club ownership rules.

Celtic dropped into the tournament after losing a Champions League play-off to LASK, having given up a four-goal lead in the tie.

The Scottish champions were drawn with Marseille, Ferencváros, Celta Vigo and Besiktas at home, and Benfica, Union Saint-Gilloise, Omonia and Torreense away.

Milan finished fifth in Serie A and remain seven-time European Cup and Champions League winners. For Sunderland the trip to Milan is the headline.

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For Bournemouth it is a home night against one of the continent’s great names. League-phase football begins in mid-September.