Spurs face tough task

Spurs were drawn in Group J with Monaco, Anderlecht and FK Qarabag, who play matches in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku and are 16/1 to win the competition with Sky Bet.
Liverpool’s task is also not straightforward with games against Russian side Rubin Kazan, Bordeaux and Swiss club Sion in Group B, although Sky Bet make them more likely than Spurs to hoist the trophy at 14/1.
Celtic have the prospect of facing Robin van Persie and Nani’s new side Fenerbahce plus Ajax and Molde from Norway in Group A.
The financial rewards of the Europa League have been increased by UEFA this season – and there is the carrot of the winners qualifying automatically for next season’s Champions League.
Celtic’s head of operations Ronnie Hawthorn said: “I think the stature of the Europa League is growing and the competition is getting more and more difficult. It’s good for fans who wants to watch European competition but it is a tough competition these days.
“There is an increase in Europa funding – something like a 63 per cent increase which is quite significant – and that is an important step forward for the competition, and there are lots of good groups here including our own.
“To see players like Van Persie will be so attractive for the fans and how they are coped with in terms of our own team. That can make the match all the more interesting.
“It is also an important step for the competition that the Europa winners now access the Champions League – as Sevilla have shown last season.”
Europa League group stage
Group A 
Ajax 
Celtic 
Fenerbahce 
Molde
Group B 
Rubin Kazan 
Liverpool 
Bordeaux 
FC Sion
Group C 
Borussia Dortmund 
PAOK Salonika 
Krasnodar 
Gabala
Group D 
Napoli 
Club Brugge 
Legia Warsaw 
FC Midtjylland
Group E 
Villarreal 
Plzen 
Rapid Vienna 
Dinamo Minsk
Group F 
Marseille 
Braga 
Liberec 
FC Groningen
Group G 
Dnipro 
Lazio 
St Etienne 
Rosenberg
Group H 
Sporting Lisbon
Besiktas 
Lokomotiv Moscow 
Skenderbeu
Group I 
Basel 
Fiorentina 
Lech Poznan 
Belenenses
Group J 
Tottenham Hotspur 
Anderlecht 
Monaco 
FK Karabakh
Group K 
Schalke 04 
APOEL 
Sparta Prague 
Asteras
Group L 
Athletic Bilbao 
AZ 
Augsburg 
Partizan Belgrade