As the semi-finals of the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League draw closer, excitement builds. Here’s a comprehensive guide on the remaining teams, the draw process, and all the important dates you need to know this season.
Understanding the Europa League Draws
The draw for the league stage of the Europa League was held on August 29th in Monaco. A total of 36 teams were drawn and categorised into four pots according to UEFA’s club coefficient rankings. Unlike previous seasons where teams were drawn individually, this year’s draw employed a fully computer-generated format, where the opponents and home/away fixtures for all teams were revealed simultaneously, pot by pot.
Each club was matched with two opponents from the four pots, with one fixture at home and one away. Importantly, clubs were not permitted to face teams from their own association and could only be drawn against a maximum of two sides from the same football association.
The draw for the knockout playoffs took place on January 30th, while the final draw for the round of 16 and beyond was conducted on February 27th. This final draw included the top eight teams from the league phase and the eight winners from the knockout playoffs.
The Remaining Teams in the Europa League (sorted by league-phase finish):
2. Aston Villa (ENG), 6. Braga (POR), 7. Freiburg (GER), 13. Nottingham Forest (ENG)
Results from the Round of 16:
Ferencvaros 2-4 Braga
Panathinaikos 1-4 Betis
Genk 2-5 Freiburg
Celta Vigo 3-1 Lyon
Stuttgart 1-4 Porto
Nottingham Forest 2-2 FC Midtjylland (Forest won 3-0 on penalties)
Bologna 5-4 Roma
Lille 0-3 Aston Villa
Quarter-Final Results:
Quarter-Final 1: Braga 5-3 Betis
Quarter-Final 2: Freiburg 6-1 Celta Vigo
Quarter-Final 3: Porto 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Quarter-Final 4: Bologna 1-7 Aston Villa
Semi-Final Matchups:
Semi-Final 1: Braga vs Freiburg
Semi-Final 2: Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa
Important Dates for the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League
Knockout Playoffs Draw: January 30th
Knockout Playoffs: February 19th (first legs), February 26th (second legs)
Final Draw (for Round of 16 and beyond): February 27th, 2026
Round of 16: March 12th (first legs), March 19th (second legs)
Quarter-Finals: April 9th (first legs), April 16th (second legs)
Semi-Finals: April 30th (first legs), May 7th (second legs)
Final: May 20th
Details on the 2025/26 Europa League Final
The Europa League final is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20th, 2026, at the Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. This venue, which has an all-seater capacity of around 42,590, will host the climactic match of the tournament.
The victorious team will earn a place in the League Phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League.
Berk Ozkan / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu via AFP
Explaining the UEFA Europa League Format
The 2024/25 season marked a significant revision of UEFA’s cup competition formats. The previous group stage has been replaced by a 36-team ‘League Phase’ in both the Champions League and Europa League.
This season, just like the last, every team will play eight matches. The top eight teams at the end of the League Phase will advance directly to the round of 16, while the bottom eight will be eliminated, without the option to drop into the Conference League.
Teams finishing between ninth and 24th will compete in the knockout playoff round to determine which additional eight teams progress to the round of 16. The final draw for the knockout phases will occur after this playoff round.
The round of 16 will see the top eight (seeded) teams drawn against the remaining (unseeded) teams, followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final, maintaining the traditional knockout cup competition structure.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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