Key Takeaways:
- The Europa League round of 16 draw was held in Nyon, Switzerland
- Lille progressed to face Aston Villa after a dramatic extra-time victory over Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night
- First-leg matches are scheduled for March 12th, with second legs set for the following week
Draw Overview and Notable Match-ups
Top seeds Lyon have been paired with Celta Vigo in the next stage of the Europa League, following the draw conducted in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, Aston Villa, as the second seeds, are set for a challenging encounter against Lille in pursuit of a quarter-final berth.
Lille’s journey to this stage required extra time on Thursday night as they narrowly overcame Red Star Belgrade. Nathan Ngoy provided the decisive goal, setting up their clash with Aston Villa.
Elsewhere, Genk also required additional time earlier in the week, ultimately emerging victorious from a six-goal contest with Dinamo Zagreb. The Belgian outfit will confront Freiburg in the round of 16, whilst an all-Italian match-up awaits Bologna and Roma.
The round of 16 is set ✅#UEL pic.twitter.com/YdHzqBAygZ
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 27, 2026
Analysis of Remaining Fixtures
FC Midtjylland, sitting third in the seedings, face the stern test of visiting Nottingham Forest after narrowly advancing past Fenerbache. Callum Hudson-Odoi was instrumental for Forest at the City Ground in the second leg.
Meanwhile, Real Betis are matched against Panathinaikos, who triumphed over Viktoria Plzen on penalties despite playing the latter stages of extra time with ten men. Ferencvaros, Hungary’s representative, will travel to the Iberian Peninsula for their tie against Braga.
| Fixture | First Leg (Home) | Second Leg (Away) |
|---|---|---|
| Ferencvaros vs Braga | Ferencvaros | Braga |
| Panathinaikos vs Betis | Panathinaikos | Betis |
| Genk vs Freiburg | Genk | Freiburg |
| Celta Vigo vs Lyon | Celta Vigo | Lyon |
| Stuttgart vs Porto | Stuttgart | Porto |
| Nottingham Forest vs FC Midtjylland | Nottingham Forest | FC Midtjylland |
| Bologna vs Roma | Bologna | Roma |
| Lille vs Aston Villa | Lille | Aston Villa |
Scheduling and Road to Istanbul
The first legs of the round of 16 ties are set for March 12th, while the reverse fixtures will be staged a week later. The team listed first in each pairing will host the opening match. Notably, Braga’s home leg is scheduled for Wednesday, 18th March, due to a scheduling conflict with Porto in the city.
UEFA will confirm exact kick-off times and dates for each tie later on Thursday.
The final of this season’s Europa League will take place in Istanbul on 20th May.
Potential Semi-final Scenarios
With the bracket now defined, the two remaining English clubs, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, are positioned in such a way that they could potentially clash in the semi-finals as both continue their pursuit of European success. On the opposite side of the draw, Lyon have avoided several of the tournament’s heavyweights and could face Freiburg, Braga, or Betis on their path to Istanbul.
