newsFebruary 17, 2026By: Antxon Pascual

The Europa League returns

The second continental competition returns to the football scene after the group stage with the play-off round prior to the round of 16.

Three weeks after the last matchday of the Europa League group stage, the second continental competition begins the knockout rounds with the play-offs. The teams that finished between 9th and 24th in the first phase will compete for a place in the round of 16.

As in the group stage, the matches will be played in two time slots: four matches at 6:45 p.m. and another four at 9:00 p.m. The first legs of the play-offs will be played on Thursday 19 February, with the second legs taking place a week later. All four matches in each time slot will be available to watch simultaneously on the Movistar Liga de Campeones 3 pay-TV channel.

Europa League play-off first legs

Brann - Bologna (6:45 p.m. Champions League 3 and Champions League 4)
Dinamo Zagreb - Genk (6:45 p.m. Champions League 3 and Champions League 5)
Fenerbahçe - Nottingham Forest (6:45 p.m. Champions League 3 and Champions League 2)
PAOK - Celta Vigo (6:45 p.m. Champions League 3 and Champions League)
Celtic Glasgow - Stuttgart (9:00 p.m. Champions League 3, Champions League and Movistar Plus)
Lille - Red Star (9:00 p.m. Champions League 3 and Champions League 4)
Ludogorets - Ferencvaros (21:00 Champions League 3 and Champions League 5)
Panathinaikos - Viktoria Plzen (21:45 Champions League 3 and Champions League 2)

The round of 16 opponents await

The eight teams that qualify for the round of 16 will find out their opponents in the draw to be held on 27 February at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, one day after the second leg of the play-offs. In addition, on that day, all the fixtures up to the final on 20 May at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul will be announced.

What the teams that make it through the play-offs do know for sure is that in the round of 16 they will play the first leg at home and the second leg away. This is because the eight best teams from the group stage qualified directly for the round of 16 and are seeded in the draw, which ensures that the tie will be decided at their home stadium.

The eight seeded teams in the Europa League round of 16 are:

Olympique Lyon
Aston Villa
Midtyiland
Betis
Porto
Braga
Freiburg
Roma

Leagues mentioned in this article

Europa League

Season 2025/2026

Current Round:8 / 8

24-0929-01

Overview Standings Fixtures Results Stats Transfers Referees

Teams mentioned in this article

SK Brann

Eliteserien (NO)

Stadium: Brann Stadion Capacity: 17,900

Coach: Freyr Alexandersson

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Bologna Football Club 1909 S.p.A.

Serie A (Italy)

Stadium: Stadio Renato Dall'Ara (Bolonia, Italia) Capacity: 36,532

Coach: Vincenzo Italiano

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

GNK Dinamo Zagreb

1. HNL (HR)

Stadium: Stadion Maksimir (Zagreb) Capacity: 35,825

Coach: Mario Kovacevic

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

KRC Genk

Pro League (Belgium)

Stadium: Cegeka Arena (Genk) Capacity: 24,604

Coach: Nicky Hayen

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Fenerbahçe SK

Süper Lig (Turkey)

Stadium: Chobani Stadium (İstanbul) Capacity: 55,509

Coach: Domenico Tedesco

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Nottingham Forest

Premier League (England)

Stadium: The City Ground (Nottingham) Capacity: 30,576

Coach: Vítor Pereira

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

PAOK

Super League (GR)

Stadium: Stadio Toumbas (Salónica) Capacity: 28,803

Coach: Razvan Lucescu

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Celta de Vigo

LaLiga (Spain)

Stadium: Abanca Balaídos (Vigo) Capacity: 28,700

Coach: Claudio Giráldez

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Celtic FC

Scottish Premiership (SS)

Stadium: Celtic Park (Glasgow) Capacity: 60,005

Coach: Martin O'Neill

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

VfB Stuttgart

Bundesliga (Germany)

Stadium: MHPArena (Stuttgart) Capacity: 60,469

Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

FC Crvena Zvezda Belgrade

Super Liga (RS)

Stadium: Stadion Rajko Mitić (Belgrado) Capacity: 55,538

Coach: Dejan Stanković

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

PFC Ludogorets 1945

A PFG (BG)

Stadium: Huvepharma Arena (Razgrad) Capacity: 7,000

Coach: Per-Mathias Högmo

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

FC Steaua Bucuresti

Liga I (RO)

Stadium: Arena Natională (București) Capacity: 55,600

Coach: Ilias Charalampous

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Panathinaikos FC

Super League (GR)

Stadium: Apostolos Nikolaidis Capacity: 16,003

Coach: Rafa Benítez

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

FC Viktoria Plzen

Czech First Division (CZ)

Stadium: Doosan Arena (Plzeň) Capacity: 13,000

Coach: Martin Hysky

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Olympique Lyon

Ligue 1 (France)

Stadium: Groupama Stadium (Lyon) Capacity: 59,168

Coach: Paulo Fonseca

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Aston Villa Football Club

Premier League (England)

Stadium: Villa Park (Birmingham, Inglaterra) Capacity: 42,788

Coach: Unai Emery

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

FC Midtjylland

Danish Superliga‎ (DK)

Stadium: MCH Arena (Herning) Capacity: 12,000

Coach: Mike Tullberg

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

Real Betis

LaLiga (Spain)

Stadium: Benito Villamarín (Sevilla) Capacity: 60,721

Coach: Manuel Pellegrini

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

FC Porto

Primeira Liga (Portugal)

Stadium: Estádio Do Dragão (Oporto) Capacity: 50,948

Coach: Francesco Farioli

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

SC Braga

Primeira Liga (Portugal)

Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Braga (Braga) Capacity: 30,286

Coach: Carlos Vicens

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

SC Freiburg

Bundesliga (Germany)

Stadium: Europa-Park Stadion (Freiburg) Capacity: 24,000

Coach: Julian Schuster

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

AS Roma

Serie A (Italy)

Stadium: Stadio Olimpico di Roma (Roma) Capacity: 70,634

Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini

Overview Details Players Standings Transfers Fixtures Results Statistics

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