Europa League play-off draw: Liverpool to face Hearts as Newcastle play Atromitos

GOAL.com – Fri, Aug 10, 2012 7:30 PM SGT

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Liverpool have been drawn against Scottish club Hearts in the Europa League play-off draw, while Newcastle United will play Greek side Atromitos.

Brendan Rodgers' side crusied into the draw courtesy of a 3-0 second leg win over Belarusian outfit FC Gomel at Anfield, with Steven Gerrard, Fabio Borini and Glen Johnson among the goals. Stewart Downing had handed the Reds a one-goal advantage in the first leg.

They now face an away trip to Tynecastle on August 23 before the return leg at home on August 30, with the winner going into the group stages of the main competition.

For the second successive season the SPL side will face Premier League opposition, having been comfortably beaten by Tottenham last year.

For Alan Pardew, his Newcastle side kick-off their European campaign with an away fixture against Atromitos, who finished fourth in the Greek Super League last season.

It's the first time since 2007 that the Magpies have competed in Europe, when they were knocked out at the hands of Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar.

Other notable ties see Scottish club Motherwell face Spanish club Levante, while Red Star were drawn against Francis Gillot's Bordeaux after defeating Cypriot club AC Omonia 6-5 on penalties.

Italian giants Inter squeezed through 3-2 on aggregate against Hajduk Split to face Romanian minnows FC Vaslui, while Turkish club Bursaspor romped to a 6-0 win KuPS Kuopio at the Bursa Ataturk Stadium to book a tie against Steve McClaren's FC Twente.

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