The league stage of the Europa League has ended. We know the eight teams that will advance to the Round of 16, but who will they play and who will they play with two more games remaining on the schedule to qualify?
The top eight teams – Lyon, Aston Villa, Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg and Roma – have all qualified for the next round of the Europa League, but it remains to be seen who they will face in the knockout stages.
Here’s everything you need to know about the playoff draw and the people involved…
How are the playoffs played?
Teams ranked 9th to 24th in the league stage will now go head-to-head in two-legged playoff games to determine which eight teams will advance to the Round of 16 as unseeded teams. Opponents will be determined by the top 8 ranked teams.
Each team in the playoffs already knows from their standing in the league that they will ultimately go down one of two paths. For example, Genk and Bologna, who are placed 9th and 10th, will face either Dinamo Zagreb or Brown, the teams placed 23rd and 24th respectively, in the playoffs. The same goes for the 11th, 12th, 21st, 22nd, etc. Exactly who will play whom will be determined by the knockout playoff draw.
Teams from the same national association can play against each other in this stage, as well as teams that played against each other in the league stage.
When is the playoff draw?
The draw will take place on Friday January 30th at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland, with a scheduled start time of 12pm UK time, although it is expected to start a little later due to all the formalities, montages and guest presenters.
Who will be in the playoffs?
The 16 teams competing to advance to the top 16 are…
9th place: Genk 10th place: Bologna 11th place: Stuttgart 12th place: Ferencvaros 13th place: Nottingham Forest 14th place: Pilsen 15th place: Crvena Zvezda 16th place: Celta・Vigo 17th: PAOK 18th: Lille 19th: Fenerbaje 20th: Panathinaikos 21st: Celtic 22nd: Ludogorets 23rd: Dinamo Zagreb 24th: Brun Bergen
Who will Nottingham Forest face in the play-offs?
Nottingham Forest will face either Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos when the play-off draw takes place on Friday.
The two winners will face either Midtjylland or Real Betis in the last 16.
Who will Celtic face in the play-offs?
Stuttgart or Ferencvaros.
The two winners will face either Porto or Braga in the last 16.
When are the playoffs held?
Matches will be held on February 19th and February 26th.
When is the drawing for the top 16?
After the playoff round, the draw for the best 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals will be held on February 27th.
