Europa League draw: Liverpool return to scene of their greatest triumph after drawing Besiktas

The Reds, who failed to make it out of their Champions League group, were handed a return to the Ataturk Arena

Steven Gerrard captained Liverpool to their European Cup victory in 2005 (Getty) (Getty)

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is set to return to the scene of his greatest triumph in Istanbul – but will be hoping to avoid another costly slip when coming up against Demba Ba and Besiktas in the last 32 of the Europa League.

The Reds, who failed to make it out of their Champions League group, were handed a return to the Ataturk Arena, where they famously won the European Cup under Rafa Benitez in 2005. Jerzy Dudek, their goalkeeper on that occasion, assisted with yesterday’s draw.

Celtic, meanwhile, were given a fearsome last-32 draw against Internazionale, the club Jock Stein’s “Lisbon Lions” famously beat in the 1967 European Cup final.

While Gerrard inspired the Liverpool comeback on their own historic night in Turkey, the former England captain will need no reminding of what happened the last time he faced former Chelsea frontman Ba, when he lost his footing to gift the Senegal striker the opening goal at Anfield in a 2-0 defeat in late April. That slip proved so costly as the title dream faded for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann, who was also part of the 2005 final team, warned there should be no complacency against Besiktas, who are managed by Slaven Bilic and topped their group ahead of Tottenham.

“Besiktas is not an easy draw – away to Turkey is a very tough place to go, it’s usually a very hostile crowd,” he said.

Like Celtic, Tottenham will face Italian opposition in the form of Fiorentina, while Everton were drawn against Swiss side Young Boys in the first tie out of the Uefa pots.

Everton club ambassador Ian Snodin confidently targeted going all the way to the final in Warsaw. “Spectators have travelled in their thousands to Lille and to Wolfsburg and the players are enjoying it, but first and foremost you want to win the competition. Everton need some silverware, it’s been a long time,” the former Toffees midfielder said.

Seville, the competition’s last defending champions as this season’s winners will instead qualify for the Champions League, face Borussia Monchengladbach.

Europa League: Last-32 draw

Young Boys v Everton

Torino v Athletic Bilbao

Seville v Borussia M’gladbach

Wolfsburg v Sporting

Ajax v Legia Warsaw

AaB v Club Brugge

Anderlecht v Dinamo Moscow

Dnipro v Olympiakos

Trabzonspor v Napoli

Guingamp v Dynamo Kiev

Villarreal v SV Red Bull Salzburg

Roma v Feyenoord

PSV v Zenit St Petersburg

Liverpool v Besiktas

Tottenham Hotspur v Fiorentina

Celtic v Internazionale

Games will be played on 19 and 26 February