Aston Villa will face Lille in the last-16 of the Europa League, while Nottingham Forest were awarded a relatively favourable draw against Danish side Midtjylland.
Vitor Pereira‘s side survived a scare in their knockout play-off tie with Fenerbahce on Thursday evening, in which they threatened to surrender their three-goal first-leg advantage, but they managed to stave off the comeback and now face the challenge of dark horses Midtjylland.
The Villans, meanwhile, avoided the perilous play-offs after already booking their place in the Europa League last-16 with a second-place finish in the league phase but have been handed a tough draw against Lille, who currently sit fifth in Ligue 1.
In the Conference League, Crystal Palace will welcome AEK Larnaca for the second time this season, with the Eagles hoping for a better result this time after a 1-0 home defeat to the Cypriot side in October. A reward for progress to the quarter-finals would be a meeting with either Italy’s Fiorentina or Poland’s Rakow.
Follow live updates from the Europa League and Conference League draws in our live blog below:
Europa League and Conference League draws live
- Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace learn fate in Europa League and Conference League last-16 draws
- Aston Villa will face Lille in Europa League last 16
- Nottingham Forest face Midtjylland in Europa League last 16
- Crystal Palace face AEK Larnaca in Conference League last 16
Arsenal land dream Champions League draw as Chelsea, Man City and Newcastle face heavyweights
13:36 , Mike JonesArsenal have landed a dream Champions League draw and will not need to face a traditional heavyweight before the semi-finals, while the five other English sides all face potentially daunting ties from the last-16 onwards.
Chelsea will play Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain while Manchester City will once again face Real Madrid and Newcastle will take on Barcelona in a glamour draw as the knockout stage bracket was revealed. Liverpool drew Galatasaray while Tottenham were paired with Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal land dream Champions League draw as teams learn path to final
Crystal Palace's route to final
13:21 , Mike JonesCrystal Palace are the only English club remaining in the Conference League and hold the Premier League’s hopes of winning the trophy this year.
Palace have been drawn against AEK Larnaca in the last-16. The sides came up against each other in the league phase and Larnaca won 1-0 at Selhurst Park.
Should Palace come through that tie they will face either Fiorentina or Rakow Czestochowa in the quarter-finals.
That will be a tough test for sure.
In the semi-finals, Palace would play one of Lech Poznan, Shakhtar Donetsk, AZ Alkmaar or Sparta Praha.
Conference League draw
13:18 , Mike JonesHere’s the full draw for the Conference League last-16:
Lech Poznan vs Shakhtar Donestsk
AZ Alkmaar vs Sparta Praha
Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca
Fiorentina vs Rakow Czestochowa
Samsunspor vs Rayo Vallecano
NK Celje vs AEK Athens
Sigma Olomouc vs Mainz
Rijeka vs Strasbourg
Conference League draw
13:16 , Mike JonesFinally, Strasbourg and Rakow Czestochowa are the remaining teams to be drawn.
Rakow are placed against Fiorentina.
Strasbourg will play Rijeka.
Conference League draw
13:15 , Mike JonesThe third pairing is AEK Athens and Sparta Praha.
Sparta Praha come out first and will take on AZ Alkmaar.
AEK Athens come up against NK Celje.
Conference League draw
13:14 , Mike JonesRaya Vallecano and Shakhtar Donetsk are paired for the next pot.
Shakhtar come out first and will play Lech Poznan in the last-16.
Raya Vallecano will face Samsunspor.
Conference League draw
13:13 , Mike JonesThe first two paired teams are Mainz and AEK Larnaca who finished seventh and eighth in the league phase.
They will be the first teams drawn out of the pot and placed on either side of the bracket.
AEK Larnaca are out of the pot first so they will play Crystal Palace!
Mainz are drawn against Sigma Olomouc.
Conference League draw
13:08 , Mike JonesFormer Roma goalkeeper and 2022 Conference League winner Rui Patricio is the man tasked with drawing the teams out of the pots.
He says that the Conference League ‘was my first European trophy and for me it was an amazing experience and very important.’
Conference League draw
13:06 , Mike JonesGiorgio Marchetti is back as well to oversee this draw.
He gives a summary of the play-off round and says it ‘embodied the spirit of this young competition’.
Conference League draw
13:05 , Mike JonesHere are the 16 teams involved in the draw:
Strasbourg
Rakow Czestochowa
Rijeka
Fiorentina
AEK Athens
Sparta Praha
AZ Alkmaar
NK Celje
Rayo Vallecano
Shakhtar Donetsk
Samsunspor
Lech Poznan
Mainz
AEK Larnaca
Crystal Palace
Sigma Olomouc
Conference League draw
13:01 , Mike JonesPedro Pinto is once more on presenting duties and welcomes the representatives of the clubs to Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon.
Conference League draw
13:00 , Mike JonesOkay, let’s get into the third and final draw of the day.
It’s time for the Conference League draw where Crystal Palace will discover their opponents for the last-16.
The draw will follow the same format as the previous two with the eight teams that automatically qualified for the last-16 drawn into either side of the bracket.
The possible last-16 draw permutations
12:55 , Mike JonesStrasbourg and Rakow Czestochowa will be drawn against:
- Rijeka or Fiorentina.
AEK Athens and Sparta Praha will be drawn against:
- AZ Alkmaar or NK Celje
Rayo Vallecano and Shakhtar Donetsk will be drawn against:
- Samsunspor or Lech Poznan
Mainz and AEK Larnaca will be drawn against:
- Crystal Palace or Sigma Olomouc
Who advanced via the play-offs?
12:50 , Mike JonesThe teams who finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase went into the play-offs.
Here are the teams that qualified yesterday:
- Crystal Palace
- Sigma Olomouc
- NK Celje
- Fiorentina
- Samsunspor
- Rijeka
- AZ Alkmaar
- Lech Poznan
Teams from the same national league can play each other in the knockout rounds.
Which teams have qualified for the last-16?
12:45 , Mike JonesThe top eight sides in this season’s Conference League league phase await in the knockout rounds. They are:
- Strasbourg
- Rakow Czestochowa
- AEK Athens
- Sparta Praha
- Rayo Vallecano
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Mainz
- AEK Larnaca
When is the Conference League draw?
12:40 , Mike JonesThe Conference League last-16 draw will take place in Nyon at 1pm GMT (2pm local time) on Friday 27 February.
The draw will be streamed live on Uefa’s website, YouTube channel and Conference League app.
Conference League draw coming up
12:35 , Mike JonesThe draw for the knockout rounds of the Conference League will be completed this week as teams including Crystal Palace learn their potential route to May’s final in Leipzig.
Yesterday’s midweek play-off matches sent eight teams though to the last 16 to join the clubs who finished in the top eight of the league phase, with the likes of Strasbourg, Sparta Praha and Shakhtar Donetsk joined by sole Premier League representatives Palace.
The outline of the draw has already been made, with teams grouped into small four-way pools of possible opponents based on their league placings.
The Eagles, who finished 10th in the league phase, would face either German side Mainz or Cypriot club AEK Larnaca in the last-16.
Aston Villa's route to the final
12:30 , Mike JonesAston Villa are one of the favourites to win the Europa League this year.
They will have to navigate a testing route to the final though and that begins in the last-16.
Unai Emery’s men take on Lille in their first knockout fuxtures before a quarter-final against Italian opponents in either Bologna or Roma.
The semi-finals sees them potentially face fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest or one of Stuttgart, Porto or FC Midtjylland.
Can Villa go all the way this season?
Nottingham Forest's route to the final
12:25 , Mike JonesNottingham Forest came through the play-off round to reach this stage of the competition but have their sights set on a long run in the Europa League.
Forest have been given a kind draw for the last-16 and face FC Midtjylland.
Should they progress through those two matches they will take on either Stuttgart or Porto in the quarter-finals.
The semi-finals then hold the possibility of an all Premier League clash with Aston Villa but Forest could also face one of Bologna, Roma or Lille.
Europa League draw live
12:21 , Mike JonesHere’s the full draw for the Europa League last-16:
Genk vs SC Freiburg
Roma vs Bologna
Ferencvaros vs Braga
Stuttgart vs Porto
Panathinaikos vs Real Betis
Nottingham Forest vs FC Midtjylland
Celta Vigo vs Lyon
Lille vs Aston Villa
Europa League draw live
12:17 , Mike JonesFinally, the last two paired teams are Lyon and Aston Villa.
Lyon come out of the pot first and will play Celta Vigo.
That leaves Villa to take on French club Lille in the last-16.
Europa League draw live
12:17 , Mike JonesThe next two paired teams finished third and fourth in the table and they are FCMidtjylland and Real Betis.
Real Betis come out first and will play Panathinaikos on the silver side of the bracket.
That means that FCMidtjylland will take on Nottingham Forest!
Europa League draw live
12:15 , Mike JonesPorto and Braga are the next two teams paired up.
Braga take on Ferencvaros on the silver side of the bracket.
Porto are drawn against Stuttgart who defeated Celtic in the play-off round.
Europa League draw live
12:14 , Mike JonesThe first two teams that are paired up at SC Freiburg and Roma who finished seventh and eighth in the league phase table.
Freiburg are drawn out first and will play Genk in the silver side of the bracket.
That means Roma will take on Bologna in an all-Italian tie on the other side of the bracket.
Europa League draw live
12:12 , Mike JonesA short video is played to explain how the draw will work but it’s pretty straightforward.
The remaining eight teams will be placed on either side of the Europa League bracket and follow that path to the final.
Europa League draw live
12:08 , Mike JonesFormer Porto star and Uefa Cup winner from 2003 Maniche is the man to help out draw the balls out of the pots.
“Winning Uefa Cup was very important for me, it was a pleasure,” he says.
The Uefa Cup was the name of the Europa League trophy before it was rebranded for those of you who may not know.
Europa League draw live
12:06 , Mike JonesGiorgio Marchetti, Uefa’s Deputy General Secretary and the birthday boy, is welcomed onto the stage to oversee the draw and explain more of how it will work.
He begins by summarising how each of the play-off teams managed to progress to the last-16.
Europa League draw live
12:05 , Mike JonesHere are the 16 teams left in the competition:
Lyon
Aston Villa
Lille
Celta Vigo
FC Midtjylland
Real Betis
Panathinaikos
Nottingham Forest
Porto
Braga
Ferencvaros
Stuttgart
Freiburg
AS Roma
Bologna
Genk
Europa League draw live
12:02 , Mike JonesPedro Pinto is on presenting duties for this draw, as always, and explains how it will work.
It’s exactly the same as the Champions League draw with the eight teams from the play-offs already placed on either side of the bracket.
The remaining seeded teams have been paired up and will be drawn into predetermined spots.
Europa League draw live
12:00 , Mike JonesOkay then. After the drama of the Champions League draw it’s time for the Europa League to shine.
Two English clubs are involved in this one with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest about to find out their routes to the final.
Could the English clubs make a clean sweep of the Uefa tournaments this year?
What are the draw permutations?
11:50 , Mike JonesThe Europa League draw begins in 10 minutes so here’s a last reminder on the possible permutations for the last-16:
Lyon and Aston Villa will be drawn against:
- Lille or Celta Vigo
FC Midtjylland and Real Betis will be drawn against:
- Panathinaikos or Nottingham Forest
Porto and Braga will be drawn against:
- Ferencvaros or Stuttgart
Freiburg and AS Roma will be drawn against:
- Bologna or Genk
Villa and Forest through to knockout rounds
11:40 , Mike JonesAston Villa are one of the favourites to win the Europa League title this season.
Not only did they finish second in the league phase and secure an automatic spot in the last-16 but they have a prolific manager in Unai Emery who excels in this competition.
With Villa’s challenge for the Premier League title looking unlikely, it feels right for Emery to prioritise the Europa League in the hopes of bringing silverware to Villa Park this year.
Trying to stop them will be Nottingham Forest. The midlands club are setting aside their terrible league form to perform strongly in Europe having managed to come through a play-off tie to reach the knockout rounds proper.
But, who will they play next?
A story of cruelty and disgrace: How Serie A’s finest fell to Champions League humiliation
11:30 , Mike Jones“Cruelty and miracles, it’s the Champions League,” read the headline in Gazzetta dello Sport. “But we’re among Europe’s greats.” Just. And if the definition of great is a loose one, Italy had grounds to be grateful for play-off drama in Bergamo. Not for the last time, they will hope, given that the Azzurri face Northern Ireland there next month, seeking to preserve their World Cup hopes.
A story of cruelty and disgrace: How Serie A fell to Champions League humiliation
Unai Emery open to Aston Villa keeping Jadon Sancho on permanent deal
11:20 , Mike JonesAston Villa boss Unai Emery is open to the possibility of signing Jadon Sancho on a permanent deal.
The 25-year-old is on a season-long loan at Villa Park from Manchester United, where his contract finishes at the end of the season.
Sancho is set to become a free agent in the summer and Emery says he would be interested in keeping him at the club if he continues to improve after a slow start.
Unai Emery open to Aston Villa keeping Jadon Sancho on permanent deal
Aston Villa qualified for last 16 in tough ‘circumstances’
11:10 , Mike JonesAston Villa boss Unai Emery admitted it was important to qualify for the Europa League last 16 in tough “circumstances”.
After beating Fenerbahce in the league phase, Villa booked their spot in the last-16.
Emery said: “The most important thing was to compete like we did, to feel good playing in our style.
“Everything they were demanding us to be compact and we did it and then of course to win the match, score goals. We had chances to score the second goal.
“Europa League is important for us and we have got in the top eight and this is the most important now of course.
“Building the team with some circumstances not helping us but next week we can finish the transfer window and hopefully we can get everything we need to complete the squad for the next months and the competitions we have.”
Follow Champions League knockout round draw
11:00 , Mike JonesThe draw for the Champions League knockout rounds is taking place in Nyon right now.
You can follow that draw with our live blog below before the Europa League and Conference League draws follow this afternoon.
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Champions League draw live: Arsenal, Liverpool and more to learn last-16 opponents
Why Vitor Pereira’s mission at Nottingham Forest goes beyond avoiding relegation
10:50 , Richard JollyNottingham Forest’s last game was against Vitor Pereira’s last club. His first match in charge is against another of his former clubs. Maybe that is simply the logical consequence of the managerial turnover under Evangelos Marinakis and the choice of a peripatetic figure like Pereira.
Why Pereira’s mission at Forest goes beyond avoiding relegation
Pereira explains half-time substitutions
10:40 , Mike JonesPereira made four changes at half-time during Forest’s second leg against Fenerbahce as he looked to gain more control in the game.
“It’s difficult for a manager to do four subs,” he explained. “It’s not about one player. I was not disappointed with one player, I was feeling that I need to do something to face the second half.
“It’s difficult to look in the eyes of the players and do four subs, but it is my life, it is my job and I did it.
“It’s like intuition. If you start to feel that we are not controlling the game, and we are in risk to not control the game in our way, you must do it. It is not about personal players.”
Vitor Pereira says changing Europa League team was 'worth the risk'
10:30 , Mike Jones“We were suffering a bit. But we are in the moment of the season that we need to think not about one game, but about two games, about the next game,” Forest’s manager said.
“It was a risk because I decided to make six changes in the team. If you have one or two changes the players can be in the middle of the others, and you don’t miss the quality.
“But when you change six players they aren’t used to playing 90 minutes.
“This is the risk. I decide to take this risk. I decide because I need to think about the Brighton game, because it’s very important for us. We need to go there with fuel and energy.
“It is difficult to face them away. My decisions were not just about this game, it was worth thinking about the next game, and was a pity for me, because in my intention was to give confidence for everybody.”
Nottingham Forest survive Fenerbahce fireworks on and off the pitch
10:20 , Mike JonesNottingham Forest survived a scare against Fenerbahce in the Europa League play-off second leg as they booked their place in the last 16 with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Forest looked to have the job done against the Turkish side after a handsome 3-0 victory in last week’s first leg in Istanbul.
Nottingham Forest survive Fenerbahce fireworks to progress in Europa League
Celtic historic win not enough to save Europa League hopes at Stuttgart
10:10 , Mike JonesA much-changed Celtic team secured a 1-0 victory in Stuttgart, restoring some pride despite their Europa League exit.
Luke McCowan stunned the hosts by netting inside 30 seconds, but Celtic could not make further inroads into their three-goal first-leg deficit in the knockout round play-offs.
Celtic historic win not enough to save Europa League hopes at Stuttgart
What are the match dates?
10:00 , Mike JonesThe last-16 ties will take place in mid-March. Here are the remaining round dates:
Round of 16: 10/11 & 17/18 March 2026
Quarter-finals: 8/9 & 15/16 April 2026
Semi-finals: 29/30 April & 6/7 May 2026
Final: 19/20 May 2026 (Istanbul)
What are the draw permutations?
09:50 , Mike JonesLyon and Aston Villa will be drawn against:
- Lille or Celta Vigo
FC Midtjylland and Real Betis will be drawn against:
- Panathinaikos or Nottingham Forest
Porto and Braga will be drawn against:
- Ferencvaros or Stuttgart
Freiburg and AS Roma will be drawn against:
- Bologna or Genk
Which teams have qualified for the last-16?
09:40 , Mike JonesThe teams who finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase went into the play-offs. Here’s who qualified from the two-legged play-off round:
- Nottingham Forest
- Stuttgart
- Bologna
- Celta Vigo
- Genk
- Ferencvaros
- Panathinaikos
- Lille
The teams have been grouped into seeded couplets according to how they finished in the league phase, so, for example, Lyon (who finished top) or Villa (who finished second) will play the winners of either Lille or Celta Vigo.
Teams from the same national league can play each other in the knockout rounds.
Which teams have qualified for the last-16?
09:30 , Mike JonesThe top eight sides in this season’s Europa League league phase await in the knockout rounds. They are:
- Lyon
- Aston Villa
- FC Midtjylland
- Real Betis
- Porto
- Braga
- Freiburg
- AS Roma
How to watch online
09:20 , Mike JonesThe draw will be streamed live on Uefa’s website, YouTube channel and Europa League app.
Subscribers can also watch on TV with the draw being aired on TNT Sports 2.
When is the draw?
09:10 , Mike JonesThe Europa League last-16 draw will take place in Nyon at 12pm GMT (1pm local time) on Friday 27 February.
Europa League knockout draw
09:00 , Mike JonesThe draw for the knockout rounds of the Europa League will be completed this week as teams including Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest learn their potential route to May’s final in Istanbul.
Tonight’s midweek play-off matches will send eight teams though to the last 16 to join the clubs who finished in the top eight of the league phase, with the likes of Porto, Roma and Lyon joined by Premier League high-flyers Villa.
The outline of the draw has already been made, with teams grouped into small four-way pools of possible opponents based on their league placings.
The Villans, who finished second in the league phase, could face French side Lille, while Forest will face either Danish side Midtjylland or La Liga club Real Betis.
Good morning!
07:50 , Mike JonesThe draws for the Europa League and Conference League last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals takes place this morning.
Three Premier League teams – Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace – are involved across the two draws with Villa having already qualified for Europa League knockout rounds, while Forest and Palace came through the Europa and Conference League play-offs respectively.
The outline of the draw has already been made, with teams grouped into small four-way pools of possible opponents based on their league placings.
The Europa League draw gets underway at 12pm GMT with the Conference League draw following at 1pm.
