The 2025-26 UEFA Europa League has reached a pivotal stage, with the round of 16 draw now confirmed and the competition's contender landscape taking clearer shape. Aston Villa and Lyon emerged as the standout performers in the league phase, while a clutch of clubs — including Roma, Nottingham Forest, and Celta Vigo — navigated the playoff round to join them in the last 16. The knockout bracket is now set, and the competition is entering its most consequential stretch ahead of the May 2026 final.
The league phase concluded in dramatic fashion in late January. Lyon topped the standings with an impressive 21 points, underlining their credentials as serious title contenders. Aston Villa also secured a top-two finish, capping a league phase that included a remarkable comeback victory over Salzburg — overturning a 2-0 deficit to win 3-1 — with four of the club's youngest-ever European starters featuring in the tie. Roma were the sole Italian side to qualify directly for the round of 16, scraping through on the final matchday, while Celtic and Lille also advanced. Feyenoord and Salzburg were among the more notable casualties, eliminated before the knockout rounds began.
The playoff draw, confirmed at UEFA headquarters in Nyon in late January, set up several compelling two-legged ties. Nottingham Forest's assignment against Fenerbahçe proved to be one of the most closely watched, and new Forest manager Vítor Pereira delivered an immediate statement of intent: a commanding 3-0 away victory in the first leg effectively ended the tie as a contest. Fenerbahçe won the return leg 2-1, but could not overcome the aggregate deficit, sending Forest through to the last 16. Celta Vigo, meanwhile, navigated their playoff against PAOK with a 1-0 second-leg victory to advance, demonstrating the squad resilience that will be essential as the competition intensifies. Fiorentina also progressed comfortably, having built a 3-0 first-leg cushion against Jagiellonia Białystok.
The round of 16 draw produced the tournament's most intriguing fixture to date: an all-Italian clash between Roma and Bologna. For Bologna, the tie represents both an opportunity and a significant test of squad depth — a concern that has shadowed their campaign throughout, given the demands of simultaneously competing in Serie A. Roma, having already demonstrated their ability to qualify under pressure, will carry the advantage of experience in high-stakes European knockout football. Elsewhere in the draw, Celta Vigo and Nottingham Forest learned their respective opponents, with Forest's resurgence under Pereira making them one of the more compelling stories in the competition's second half.
Aston Villa's campaign, meanwhile, has not been without turbulence. Midfielder Youri Tielemans suffered an ankle injury in late January that threatened an extended absence, compounding fitness concerns for Unai Emery's squad. A home defeat to Brentford in the Premier League — marred by a contentious VAR decision to disallow a Tammy Abraham goal — added to the pressure, though Villa subsequently ended their winless run with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in influential form. Emery also sought adjustments to Harvey Elliott's loan terms from Liverpool, reflecting the complexity of managing a squad stretched across domestic and European fronts. Despite these challenges, Villa's league-phase form and Emery's unmatched pedigree in this competition — four Europa League titles as a manager — keep them among the favourites.