Bundesliga football clubs 1. FC Union Berlin and SC Freiburg are avoiding the really big names in the Europa League group stage.

The Berliners will face Portuguese club Sporting Braga, Sweden’s record champions Malmö FF and Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Group D. This was the result of the draw in Istanbul on Friday. Freiburg will face Greek record champions Olympiakos Piraeus, Qarabağ Ağdam from Azerbaijan and French representatives FC Nantes in Group G. For the time being, there is no German duel with the English top club Manchester United and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Union and Freiburg qualified for the Europa League after finishing fifth and sixth in the Bundesliga last season. The first group match will take place on 8 September, the last on 3 November. The knockout rounds will continue from February. The final is scheduled for 31 May 2023 in Budapest.

The groups in overview

Group A

FC Arsenal

PSV Eindhoven

FK Bodö/Glimt

FC Zurich

Group B

Dynamo Kiev

Stade Rennes

Fenerbahce Istanbul

AEK Larnaca

Group C

AS Roma

Ludogorets Razgrad

Betis Sevilla

HJK Helsinki

Group D

Sporting Braga

Malmo FF

1st FC Union Berlin

Union St. Gilloise

Group E

Manchester United

RS San Sebastian

Sheriff Tiraspol

Omonia Nicosia

Group F

Lazio Roma

Feyenoord Rotterdam

FC Midtjylland

SK Sturm Graz

Group G

Olympiakos Piraeus

FK Karabakh Agdam

SC Freiburg

FC Nantes

Group H

Red Star Belgrade

AS Monaco

Ferencváros Budapest

Trabzonspor