Celtic to Face Stuttgart & Nottingham Forest to Meet Fenerbahce

Teams Set for Europa League Play-offs

Celtic will take on Stuttgart, and Nottingham Forest will challenge Fenerbahce in pivotal two-legged play-off matches, aiming for a spot in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Martin O’Neill’s side was initially in contention to play against Ferencvaros, the Hungarian club led by Robbie Keane, but has instead drawn the formidable Bundesliga team.

The opening match will occur at Celtic Park, and the victor of this tie will face either Porto, who triumphed over O’Neill’s team in the 2003 UEFA Cup final, or Braga, another Portuguese outfit, in the next round.

Forest, whose alternative match-up was against the Greek team Panathinaikos, has the opportunity to progress against either Midtjylland or Real Betis if they overcome the Turkish side.

The play-offs are scheduled for February 19 and 26.

Celtic secured their place in the play-offs after a 4-2 victory over Utrecht, finishing 21st in the league phase table. Nottingham Forest closed their league proceedings with a resounding 4-0 win against Ferencvaros, finishing 13th, which grants them the advantage of a home tie in the second leg of the play-off.

The top eight clubs from the league round—Lyon, Aston Villa, Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg, and Roma—have already qualified for the knockout stage.

The final of the 2026 Europa League is slated to be hosted on May 20 at Besiktas Park in Istanbul, Turkey.

Europa League Play-off Fixtures

• Ludogorets vs Ferencvaros
• Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzen
• GNK Dinamo vs Genk
• PAOK vs Celta
• Celtic vs Stuttgart
• Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest
• SK Brann vs Bologna
• Lille vs Red Star Belgrade

Note: The teams listed first will host the first leg.