Europa League & Conference League Draw: Opponents for Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Freiburg

Bayer Leverkusen and SC Freiburg Learn Europa League and Conference League Opponents Following UEFA Draw

Bayer Leverkusen, who reached the Europa League final two seasons ago, faces a demanding league phase slate. According to the UEFA draw results, Leverkusen will host Olympique Marseille, Red Bull Salzburg, NK Celje, and Besiktas Istanbul, while playing away matches against Olympique Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb, Lech Posen, and OFI Kreta. Meanwhile, TSG Hoffenheim received a nearly parallel draw with several shared opponents. Hoffenheim’s fixtures include home matches against Olympique Lyon, Ferencvaros Budapest, Sturm Graz—providing a reunion for head coach Christian Ilzer against his former club—and Besiktas Istanbul. Hoffenheim’s away trips take them to Olympiakos Piräus, RSC Anderlecht, Crystal Palace, and OFI Kreta.

SC Freiburg Prepares for Conference League Matchups

In the UEFA Conference League, SC Freiburg secured fixtures that include notable away travel and home tests. According to the UEFA schedule announcement, Freiburg will travel to face Trabzonspor and the AS Monaco, alongside matches against FK Kauno Zalgiris. Their home fixtures feature encounters with Panathinaikos Athen, Twente Enschede, and FC Jablonec.

The complete official match schedules for both competitions will be published by UEFA no later than Sunday. For the Europa League, each team will contest eight matches split evenly between four home and four away fixtures. The opening round of the Europa League league phase kicks off on September 16 and 17, with the phase concluding on January 28. The Europa League final is scheduled for May 26, 2027, in Frankfurt. In the Conference League, teams will play six matches each—three home and three away—starting on October 15 and wrapping up on December 17, culminating in the June 2, 2027 final at the Besiktas-Park in Istanbul.