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In its current format, clubs finishing third in their respective groups in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualify, if you will, for the round of 32 knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League (UEL).
As with the UCL, the top two finishers for each group of the UEL qualify for the next round. In the UCL, group winners play a runner up from a different group. I assume this doesn't happen in the UEL. How are the 8 UCL teams integrated into the UEL?
Looks like I found my answer in this article on Wikipedia.
In the draw for the round of 32, the twelve group winners and the four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage with the better group records are seeded, and the twelve group runners-up and the other four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage are unseeded. The seeded teams are drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group or the same association cannot be drawn against each other.
And after the first knock-out round, as with the UCL:
there are no seedings, and teams from the same group or the same association can be drawn against each other.
