Manchester United and Porto are former continental champions, while Valencia, Sevilla and Shakhtar Donetsk are all clubs who have regularly frequented the latter stages of the Champions League.
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The other four teams who finished third in the Champions League group stages finished with higher points totals or goal difference, and are seeded.
The English club was drawn to face Augsburg, with the first leg on February 18 and the second leg a week later.
Louis van Gaal’s side crashed out of the Champions League following last week’s defeat in Wolfsburg, which consigned them to the last 32 of Europe’s less glamorous competition.
Winning the tournament would not only bring silverware back to the club after two barren years but it would also guarantee the inclusion of Manchester United in next season’s Champions League tournament, irrespective of their final league position.
Mat Ryan’s Valencia will fancy their chances of progression after they were matched up with Austrian club Rapid Wien.
Star player Pione Sisto has been courted by several of Europe’s big clubs but has struggled for form at times this campaign, having only scored twice in the league so far.
Fenerbahce will meet Locomotiv Moscow, Anderlecht take on Greek champions Olympiacos, Sparta Prague face Krasnodar, Sion play against Braga and Villarreal meet last season’s semi-finalists Napoli.
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini are likely to escape lifetime bans for corruption but investigators expect the pair to receive lengthy suspensions of at least seven years when their hearings take place this week, according to insiders.
The second legs are scheduled for 10 and 17 March.
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Liverpool won their group to make it through to the round of 32 in the Europa League. Going through as group winners, Liverpool will play the second leg at Anfield a week later as they look to navigate their way to the Round of 16. That is more than half of the number league matches they will play this season. “That is important for us”.
