As both the Europa League and Conference League pass the halfway mark of league play, Sky Sports takes a look at how the race to the knockout stages is shaping up.
Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are poised to reach the next stage in their respective competitions, while other teams such as Rangers and Celtic are on the brink of elimination.
Here’s the current situation…
Who will qualify for the knockouts?
The top eight teams at the end of each league phase will automatically qualify for the Round of 16.
The next 16 teams from 9th to 24th place will enter a two-legged playoff against each other with the aim of advancing to the final tournament.
The bottom 12 teams from 25th to 36th place will be eliminated. Teams eliminated from the Europa League will no longer be able to participate in the Conference League due to their exit at the league stage.
Europa League – Villa do well but Celtic and Rangers struggle
Aston Villa have picked up nine points from their opening four games, leaving Unai Emery’s side in sixth place and in a prime position to qualify for the next round.
Villa’s remaining matches will be against Young Boys, RB Salzburg, Fenerbahce and Basel.
Nottingham Forest are in 23rd place, two places above the elimination zone, with one win, two draws and one loss.
The defeat came against leaders Midtjylland during the reign of Ange Postecoglou, who suffered a disastrous defeat at the City Ground, while their only win came in Sean Dyche’s first game as Forest manager against Porto.
Forest’s remaining fixtures consist of Ferencvaros, Braga, Malmö and Utrecht.
Celtic and Rangers are both currently outside the top 24 and at risk of being eliminated from the competition at league stage.
Rangers are at the bottom of the table with zero points after four games, but Celtic are within striking distance of breaking into the top 24 with four points. Bologna are in 24th place with five points.
Opta’s prediction table sees Villa finishing top of the table and Forest securing a play-off spot in 14th place. Celtic and Rangers both missed out on qualification, with the latter expected to finish 34th in the league.
How many points do I need to be in the top 8 or top 24 of EL?
Last year, in the first edition of this new format, you needed 14 points to get into the top eight and 10 points to get into the top 24, depending on goal difference.
British team’s remaining matches
Aston Villa: RB Salzburg (H), Fenerbahce (A), Young Boys (H), Basel (A),
Nottingham Forest: Ferencvaros (H), Braga (A), Malmo (H), Utrecht (A).
Rangers: Porto (A), Braga (H), Ferencvaros (A), Ludogorets (H).
Celtic: Roma (H), Feyenoord (A), Utrecht (H), Bologna (A).
europa league match schedule
Section 5: November 27, 2025
Section 6: December 11, 2025
Section 7: January 22, 2026
Section 8: January 29, 2026
europe league final tournament
Knockout Phase Playoffs: February 19 and 26, 2026
Round 16: March 12 and 19, 2026
Quarterfinals: April 9 and 16, 2026
Semi-finals: April 30 and May 7, 2026
Final: May 20, 2026 (Istanbul)
Conference League – Battle for Palace
Crystal Palace have six points from three games in the conference league and are level on points with eighth-placed Fiorentina, who will qualify for the final automatic spot.
Palace have three remaining games against Strasbourg, Seelbourne and KuPS.
Türkiye’s Samsunspor sit at the top of the table with an unblemished record, along with Celje and Mainz 05.
Also in the top eight are AEK Larnaca, Lausanne, Rayo Vallecano and Strasbourg.
How many points do you need to finish in the top 8 or top 24 in the conference league?
Last season, teams needed more points in the Conference League than in the Europa League to advance to the top eight. Cercle Brugge secured 8th place with 11 points, while TSC Bacca Topola secured 24th place with 7 points.
Opta predicts Palace will automatically qualify for the knockout stages in fourth place with 14 points.
Crystal Palace remaining games
Crystal Palace: Strasbourg (A), Shelbourne (A), KuPS (H).
Conference league game schedule
Section 4: November 27, 2025
Section 5: December 11, 2025
Section 6: December 18, 2025
Conference league knockout stage
Knockout Phase Playoffs: February 19 and 26, 2026
Round 16: March 12 and 19, 2026
Quarterfinals: April 9 and 16, 2026
Semi-finals: April 30 and May 7, 2026
Final: May 27, 2026 (Leipzig)
Sky Sports will be exclusive broadcaster of EL and ECL from 2027/28
Sky Sports will be the exclusive UK broadcaster for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League from the 2027/28 season.
All 342 matches from both competitions will be available to watch on Sky Sports for four years from summer 2027.
Sky Sports’ extensive coverage of the Premier League, EFL, WSL, Scottish Premiership and more means Sky Sports viewers can watch frequent football seven nights a week.
