Europa League draw: Klopp’s nightmare comes true as Liverpool will face Dortmund

After Liverpool knocked out bitter rivals Manchester United on Thursday, Klopp said he hoped not to get former team Borussia Dortmund.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp brought plenty of success while at the helm of Borussia Dortmund, who they will face in the Europa League. Jason Cairnduff / Reuters

ZURICH // Juergen Klopp’s Europa League nightmare came true on Friday when his Liverpool side were drawn to meet former club Borussia Dortmund in next month’s quarter-finals.

Sevilla, bidding to win the trophy for the third successive season, will tackle Primera Liga rivals Athletic Bilbao while Villarreal take on Sparta Prague and Braga face Shakhtar Donetsk.

After Liverpool knocked out bitter rivals Manchester United on Thursday, Klopp said: “I hope we don’t get Dortmund.”

The charismatic German spent seven seasons at Dortmund, leading them to two Bundesliga titles, German Cup glory and the 2013 Uefa Champions League final where they lost to Bayern Munich.

“He comes back!”, Dortmund playmaker Ilkay Guendogan said on Twitter after hearing news of the draw.

Liverpool, without a major trophy since they lifted the League Cup in 2012, will travel to Germany for the first leg on April 7 before hosting the return match at Anfield seven days later.

It is 50 years since the two teams met in the final of the now-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1966, Dortmund winning 2-1.

The Germans reached the last eight by defeating another English club, Tottenham Hotspur, in the last 16.

Sevilla have won their last two Primera Liga fixtures against Bilbao 2-0 but the teams have never met before in European competition.

Villarreal and Sparta have also never been drawn together before while Ukrainians Shakhtar, who won the Uefa Cup in 2009, beat Braga of Portugal twice in the group stage of the 2010/11 Champions League.

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