Neftci FC to face Inter Milan in Europa League group

Holders Club Atlético de Madrid will start their UEFA Europa League defence in a group featuring FC Viktoria Plze?, while FC Internazionale Milano and Liverpool FC face testing autumns.

Holders Club Atlético de Madrid will meet FC Viktoria Plze?, A. Académica de Coimbra and Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC in the UEFA Europa League group stage following today's draw in Monaco.

The top seeds in Group B, the Spanish outfit are bidding to become only the fourth side to lift the trophy three times. Liverpool FC and FC Internazionale Milano currently share the record with UEFA Champions League hopefuls Juventus, and both face testing autumns after the draw conducted by Atlético striker Falcao and 2012/13 final ambassador Patrick Kluivert.

The Reds have been paired in Group A with Udinese Calcio, BSC Young Boys and big spending Russian side FC Anzhi Makhachkala, whose only previous European campaign in 2001 lasted a solitary game. Inter will face FC Rubin Kazan, Serbian title holders FK Partizan and Azerbaijan's first ever group stage contenders, Neftçi PFK. There is a positive omen for the Italian team, however: they beat Rubin en route to their 2010 UEFA Champions League triumph.

The section winners and runners-up will progress to the round of 32 in the spring, with the final at the Amsterdam ArenA on 15 June 2013.

The full group stage fixture list will follow shortly.

UEFA Europa League group stage draw

Group A
Liverpool FC (ENG)
Udinese Calcio (ITA)
BSC Young Boys (SUI)
FC Anzhi Makhachkala (RUS)

Group B

Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
FC Viktoria Plze? (CZE)
A. Académica de Coimbra (POR)

Group C

Olympique de Marseille (FRA)
Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach (GER)
AEL Limassol FC (CYP)

Group D

FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA)
Club Brugge KV (BEL)
Newcastle United FC (ENG)
CS Marítimo (POR)

Group E

VfB Stuttgart (GER)
FC København (DEN)
FC Steaua Bucure?ti (ROU)
Molde FK (NOR)

Group F

PSV Eindhoven (NED)
SSC Napoli (ITA)
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR)
AIK Solna (SWE)

Group G

Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)
FC Basel 1893 (SUI)
KRC Genk (BEL)
Videoton FC (HUN)

Group H

FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)
FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)
FK Partizan (SRB)
Neftçi PFK (AZE)

Group I

Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Athletic Club (ESP)
AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
Hapoel Kiryat Shmona FC (ISR)

Group J

Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
Panathinaikos FC (GRE)
S.S. Lazio (ITA)
NK Maribor (SVN)

Group K

Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)
FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
Rosenborg BK (NOR)
SK Rapid Wien (AUT)

Group L

FC Twente (NED)
Hannover 96 (GER)
Levante UD (ESP)
Helsingborgs IF (SWE)


/uefa.com/