The draw the first knockout round of the Europa League has thrown up an intriguing set of fixtures for Portugal’s four remaining teams in the competition.
Porto appear to have been handed the most difficult draw as they face Bayer Leverkusen, who dropped from the Champions League having put in creditable performances against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Benfica also face opposition coming from the UCL, as the Portuguese champions lock horns against Luís Castro’s Shakhtar Donetsk.
Braga will travel to Scotland to take on Rangers, who proved what a threat they can be in the group stage of the Europa League by drawing and beating Porto. However, given Braga’s sensational form in Europe this season (8 wins, 2 draws, zero defeats) they will not be overawed by the task.
Sporting were the only unseeded Portuguese team in the draw, but dodged the heavyweights as they were paired with Turkish outfit Istanbul Basaksehir.
Europa League draw for Portuguese clubs
Shakhtar Donetsk v Benfica
Rangers v Braga
Bayer Leverkusen v FC Porto
Sporting v Istanbul Basaksehir
The first-leg matches will be played on 20 February 2020, with the second legs taking place one week later.
As for other teams with a strong Portuguese interest, Olympiacos, coached by Pedro Martins and for whom José Sá, Daniel Podence and Rúben Semedo play, have an exciting match-up against last year’s runners-up Arsenal, while the Portuguese-heavy Wolves take on La Liga side Espanyol.
By Tom Kundert
