NYON: Chelsea will face Dynamo Kiev at home in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, while London rivals Arsenal will travel to Rennes following Friday’s draw.

Both Premier League teams were initially handed home ties after the draw, but Arsenal subsequently confirmed they would play their first leg away to avoid UEFA’s city-clash rule.

UEFA rules governing European competition allow for ties to be rearranged if more than one club from a particular city is taking part, to prevent multiple games being held in the same city at the same time.

Both London clubs are currently outside the top four in the Premier League, so the Champions League place awarded to the Europa League winner could be the best chance for them to return to the elite competition.

Chelsea won the Europa League in 2013 but have recently dropped to sixth in the Premier League and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United on Monday.

In another blow, Chelsea were banned by FIFA on Friday from signing players until the 2020 offseason transfer window for breaching rules covering youngsters.

Italy’s Inter Milan are at Eintracht Frankfurt in their first leg, while Dinamo Zagreb host Portugal’s Benfica, with Napoli taking on Austria’s RB Salzburg.

Friday’s draw was not protected by seeding, but teams from Russia and Ukraine were kept apart.

Russian side FC Krasnodar travel to Valencia for their first leg, while Zenit St Petersburg have also been drawn against Spanish opposition and host La Liga strugglers Villareal.

Sevilla, the third Spanish side still in this year’s competition, have been drawn against Slavia Prague.

The first legs of the last-16 ties will be held on March 7 with the reverse fixtures scheduled for March 14. The final of this season’s Europa League will be played in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on May 29.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2019