Porto have been handed the most difficult draw as they face Bayer Leverkusen, who dropped down from the Champions League having performed well against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Benfica, who also failed to progress in the Champions League, face stiff opposition as they lock horns with Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) who are rated above Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA club coefficient ranking.
SC Braga will travel to Scotland to take on Rangers, who proved what a threat they can be in the group stage of the Europa League by drawing with and beating Porto. However Braga’s impressive form in Europe this season - eight wins, two draws and no defeats – means that they will not be overawed by the task.
Sporting were the only unseeded Portuguese team in the draw, but avoided the heavyweights as they were paired with Turkish outfit Istanbul Basaksehir.
Europa League draw for Portuguese clubs:
Shakhtar Donetsk v Benfica; Rangers v Braga; Bayer Leverkusen v FC Porto and Sporting v Istanbul Basaksehir.
The first-leg matches will be played on 20 February 2020, with the second legs taking place a week later. As for other teams with a strong Portuguese interest, Olympiacos, coached by Pedro Martins and for whom José Sá, Daniel Podence and Rúben Semedo play, have an exciting match-up against last year’s runners-up Arsenal, while Wolverhampton Wanderers under Nuno Espírito Santos take on Spanish La Liga side Espanyol.