Chelsea and Arsenal have discovered their opponents in the Europa League round of 16, with the Blues drawn against Dynamo Kiev and the Gunners set to face Rennes. The draw took place on Friday in Nyon, with former Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop conducting the proceedings.
Chelsea will travel to Ukraine for the second leg, a round trip of approximately 3,000 miles. Dynamo Kiev, who were eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax, topped their Europa League group before beating Olympiakos in the round of 32. The Ukrainian side are two-time European Cup Winners' Cup champions but have never reached a Champions League or Europa League final.
Arsenal will face Ligue 1 club Rennes, who advanced by defeating Real Betis in the round of 32. The Gunners have agreed to flip the tie, meaning the first leg will be played in France on March 7 at Roazhon Park, with the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on March 14. Rennes' only continental success came in the 2008 Intertoto Cup.
The draw holds particular significance for Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, who began his professional career at Rennes before moving to Chelsea. Cech, who will retire at the end of the season, posted a throwback picture of himself playing for the French club on social media.
Both Premier League sides avoided the competition's biggest names, including Sevilla, Napoli, and Inter Milan. Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri will not face his former club Napoli, who were drawn against Red Bull Salzburg. Sevilla will play Slavia Prague, while Inter take on Eintracht Frankfurt.
First leg ties are scheduled for March 7, with second legs on March 14. Arsenal's first leg kicks off at 5.55pm UK time, while the return leg starts at 8pm.
