Liverpool Europa League opponents: Best and worst draw scenarios

With all the noise about Deadline Day, it's easy to forget there's another appointment on the calendar this Friday: the Europa League group stage draw.

Liverpool return to Europe's second-tier club competition for the first time since 2015/16, and while — let's face it – nobody really wants to be here, it is a great chance for silverware this season.

The Reds have an opportunity to lift the Europa League (or UEFA Cup in its previous incarnation) for a fourth time, with the 2023/24 final taking place just over the Irish Sea in Dublin.

Jurgen Klopp's side will find out their group stage opponents this Friday, as they begin their European campaign, and go into the draw as one of the teams to avoid for all other competitors.

Here's what you need to know about the draw.

When is the Europa League draw?

The draw is scheduled to take place on Friday, 1 September at 12:00 BST / 13:00 CET in Monaco.

The event will be broadcast live on UEFA.com while TNT Sports will have coverage in the UK.

READ MORE: Europa League 2023/24 explained – format, draw, pots and schedule

What pot are Liverpool in?

Perhaps unsurprisingly given their Champions League pedigree, Liverpool go into the Europa League this season with the highest UEFA coefficient (the metric that ranks teams based on recent performances) of any competing side.

As a result, the Reds are secured in the knowledge that they will go into Friday's draw in Pot 1.

Who else has qualified?

The following 32 teams are confirmed for the Europa League 2023/24 group stages:

AUT: LASK, Sturm Graz

AZE: Qarabağ

BEL: Union SG

CYP: Aris Limassol

CZE: Slavia Praha, Sparta Praha

ENG: Brighton, Liverpool, West Ham

ESP: Real Betis, Villarreal

FRA: Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse

GER: Freiburg, Leverkusen

GRE: AEK Athens, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos

ISR: Maccabi Haifa

ITA: Atalanta, Roma

MDA: Sheriff Tiraspol

NED: Ajax

NOR: Molde

POL: Raków Częstochowa

POR: Sporting CP

SCO: Rangers

SRB: TSC

SUI: Servette

SWE: Häcken

Best case draw for Liverpool

As a Pot 1 team, Liverpool will avoid a number of the trickiest possible matchups.

Big names like Ajax, Roma, Villarreal, Leverkusen and Atalanta are all also set for Pot 1 and can't be drawn against Klopp's side, while West Ham (also Pot 1 as Conference League winners) and Brighton can't face another English team in the group stage.

In reality, the Reds should be able to progress with some ease regardless of the group. However, perhaps a best case scenario would see the Reds drawn with LASK (Pot 2), Molde (Pot 3) and Servette (Pot 4), in what would be a group with a relatively low UEFA coefficient coupled with short and sweet away-day travel.

Toughest draw for Liverpool

It's hard to pick a 'group of death' exactly but less appealingly, Liverpool could get Marseille (Pot 2), Freiburg (Pot 3) and Greek champions AEK Athens (Pot 4) – which would be one of the tougher draws based on UEFA coefficient.

Klopp and the Reds will also surely prefer to avoid long-distance midweek travel, meaning the likes of Maccabi Haifa (Pot 3) and Qarabag (Pot 2) are best swerved.

Real Betis and Sporting CP (both Pot 2) could also be a tricky ties – though Seville and Lisbon would make lovely away days for fans wanting some winter sun – while the cauldrons of Olympiacos (Pot 2) and Panathinaikos (Pot 4) might be the kind of excitement best avoided until the knockouts.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is also a chance Liverpool could be drawn with TSC Bačka Topola (Pot 4). The Serbian club play in front of a 4,500 capacity crowd.