Europa League draw: West Ham to face Astra again, Sassuolo meet Red Star Belgrade

West Ham have been drawn against Astra – the team who knocked them out last season – in the Europa League play-off round, while Sassuolo will meet Red Star Belgrade.

The ties, which will be played on August 18 and August 25, are the final qualification hurdle for the 44 teams involved as they bid to make it to the group stage.

Premier League team West Ham will play the first leg of their tie in Romania having been paired with familiar foes Astra, who won their domestic league last season but lost 4-1 on aggregate to FC Copenhagen in Champions League qualification.

West Ham, who sealed a 4-2 aggregate victory over Domzale on Thursday in the third qualifying round, were beaten by Astra 4-3 over two legs in the qualification phase for last season’s competition.

Friday’s draw in Nyon gave Sassuolo a tough test against Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade – who were dramatically defeated 6-4 on aggregate after extra-time by Ludogorets in Champions League qualifying – as the Serie A side continue their first European campaign.

Elsewhere, Fenerbahce take on Grasshoppers and Saint-Etienne play Beitar Jerusalem.

Full Europa League play-off draw:

Astana v BATE
Midtjylland v Osmanlispor
Lokomotiva Zagreb v Genk
Dinamo Tbilisi v PAOK
Beitar Jerusalem v Saint-Etienne
Maribor v Qabala
Astra v West Ham
Brondby v Panathinaikos
Gent v Shkendija
SonderjyskE v Sparta Prague
Gothenburg v Qarabag
Arouca v Olympiacos
Trencin v Rapid Vienna
AEK Larnaca v Slovan Liberec
Austria Vienna v Rosenborg
Vojvodina v AZ
Slavia Prague v Anderlecht
Fenerbahce v Grasshoppers
Krasnodar v Partizani Tirana
Istanbul Basaksehir v Shakhtar Donetsk
Sassuolo v Red Star Belgrade
Maccabi Tel Aviv v Hajduk Split