Dundalk handed tough Europa League draw

Dundalk have been handed a difficult Europa League draw.

Stephen Kenny's side were unfortunate not to become the first Irish team to reach the group stages of the Champions League earlier this week. Dundalk drew 1-1 with Legia Warsaw on Tuesday in Poland, going out of the competition 3-1 on aggregate to the Polish side. However, the Europa League group stages, and a guarantee of at least six more European fixtures this season, isn't a bad consolation prize. Dundalk were in Pot 4 for Friday's draw, and were therefore bound to receive a tough group. The Irish champions have been drawn alongside Russian side Zenit St Petersburg, AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands and Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv. Here's the draw in full: Group A Manchester United Fenerbahçe Feyenoord Zorya Luhansk Group B Olympiakos APOEL Young Boys Astana Group C Anderlecht St-Étienne Mainz Qäbälä Group D Zenit St Petersburg AZ M. Tel-Aviv Dundalk Group E Viktoria Plzeň Roma Austria Wien Astra Group F Athletic Bilbao Genk Rapid Wien Sassuolo Group G Ajax Standard Liège Celta Panathinaikos Group H Shakhtar Donetsk Braga Gent Konyaspor Group I Schalke Salzburg Krasnodar Nice Group J Fiorentina PAOK Liberec Qarabağ Group K Inter Milan Sparta Praha Southampton H. Beer-Sheva Group L Villarreal Steaua Zürich Osmanlıspor https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/769138922140172293

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