Europa League: Recap of the Final League Phase Matches

Aston Villa Sets the Pace for British Clubs

Aston Villa emerged victorious against Red Bull Salzburg, ending the league phase of the Europa League on a high note. This win secured their position as the second-best team in the competition, finishing just behind Lyon. The Midlands club had already clinched automatic qualification before kicking off, while Nottingham Forest and Celtic are also vying for a spot in the knockout stages after progressing to the play-off round.

• Aston Villa defeated Red Bull Salzburg.
• Nottingham Forest triumphed 4-0 over Ferencvaros.
• Celtic achieved a 4-2 victory against Utrecht.

In contrast, Rangers suffered a disappointing defeat, marking their sixth consecutive European away loss, this time against Porto.

Who Advanced Alongside Aston Villa and Lyon?

Midtjylland secured third place by comfortably beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0. The Danish side concluded their league phase on a victorious note.

In a notable performance, former Manchester United player Antony contributed to Real Betis‘s 2-1 win over Feyenoord, allowing the Spanish team to close the league phase in fourth, along with several others that finished with 17 points.

Porto came from behind to win 3-1 against Rangers, placing them fifth. Braga followed closely, despite playing to a goalless draw against Go Ahead Eagles.

Furthermore, Freiburg’s aspirations for a top-three finish fell short after a last-minute penalty by Olivier Giroud led to a 1-0 defeat against Lille. In a dramatic finish, Jan Ziolkowski scored late for Roma against Panathinaikos, allowing them to edge out Genk based on goal difference for the final automatic qualification spot.

Which Teams Made the Play-Offs?

Thursday night’s Europa League matches lacked the drama of the previous night’s Champions League clashes, yet the play-off qualifications provided some excitement.

Out of the 16 clubs ranked ninth to 24th before the matches commenced, 14 of them secured their play-off berths by the end of the night. The only notable exceptions were Porto, who celebrated a climb to automatic qualification after their win, and Young Boys, who faced heartbreak by losing 3-2 to Stuttgart, failing to advance after an impressive fightback.

Celtic’s 4-2 victory ensured their passage into the play-offs, while Nottingham Forest also qualified following their comfortable win over Ferencvaros.

The two British clubs will be joined by Genk, Bologna, Stuttgart, Ferencvaros, Viktoria Plzen, FK Crvena Zvezda, Celta Vigo, PAOK, Lille, Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Ludogorets, Dinamo Zagreb, and Brann in the play-off round. The draw for these matches will take place on Friday.

Who Missed Out?

Rangers were among six teams unable to reach the play-offs, joining Sturm Graz, Nice, Utrecht, Malmo, and Maccabi Tel Aviv in early elimination.

Young Boys managed to keep hopes alive until the last minute but fell short against Stuttgart, ending their campaign in disappointing fashion. Similarly, RB Salzburg, despite showing resilience during matches, ended up in 31st place after concluding their league phase with six losses.

Notably, Go Ahead Eagles managed to secure a draw against Braga but still faced elimination, finishing just short of the play-off spots alongside FCSB. Both Feyenoord and Basel also failed to progress following defeats to Real Betis and Viktoria Plzen.

Upcoming Play-Off Draw

The draw for the play-off stage will occur on Friday at noon GMT. The first leg of these matches will be held on February 19, with return legs scheduled for February 26. The seeded teams will host the second leg.

Moreover, the draws for the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals are slated for February 27, with the last-16 ties set to be played on March 12 and 19.