The curtain has fallen on the league stage of the Europa League, with the eight clubs that have directly qualified for the round of 16 officially confirmed, while the teams that will go to the play-offs for the knockout stages have been determined, at the end of a round that witnessed great excitement and a high number of goals.
The new qualification system and the importance of being at the top
This stage is of paramount strategic importance under the revised tournament format, as finishing in the top eight of the overall standings grants a golden advantage: direct passage to the Round of 16. This spares these teams the arduous task of playing two additional home-and-away playoff matches. Conversely, clubs finishing from ninth to twenty-fourth must compete in playoff matches to determine the remaining qualifiers, adding significant physical and technical pressure on those teams that failed to secure their qualification early on.
Anglo-French dominance at the summit
Returning to the details of the standings, Lyon of France and Aston Villa of England maintained their complete dominance at the top of the table, holding onto first and second place respectively with 21 points each, thus confirming their early qualification. The competition behind them was no less fierce, with Midtjylland of Denmark securing third place with 19 points.
The list of direct qualifiers also featured a diverse European contingent, including Spain's Real Betis, the Portuguese duo of Porto and Sporting Braga, and Germany's Freiburg, all tied on 17 points and occupying positions four through seven. The battle for the eighth and final direct qualification spot was fierce until the very last moment, with Italy's Roma ultimately securing it with 16 points, edging out Belgium's Genk on goal difference, who were relegated to the playoffs.
Relegation battle: venerable clubs face danger
The playoff stage will feature some fiery encounters with clubs boasting a long history in European competitions. Alongside Genk, Bologna (Italy), Stuttgart (Germany), and Ferencváros (Hungary) qualified with 15 points each. Nottingham Forest (England), Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic), and Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) also joined the list with 14 points each.
The playoff list also included Spain's Celta Vigo (13 points), ahead of strong teams such as PAOK and Panathinaikos of Greece, Lille of France, and Fenerbahçe of Turkey. Celtic of Scotland, Ludogorets of Bulgaria, Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia, and Brann of Norway also joined the playoffs, promising some tough knockout matches in the next stage.
The exciting results of the final round
The final night produced some remarkable results that reflected the fierce competition, with Aston Villa securing a thrilling 3-2 victory over Salzburg, while Celtic thrashed Utrecht 4-2. In other matches, Lyon defeated PAOK 4-2, Porto beat Rangers 3-1, and Midtjylland triumphed over Dinamo Zagreb 2-0.
The round also saw important victories for the playoff teams, with Genk defeating Malmö 2-1, Lille beating Freiburg, Ludogorets overcoming Nice, and Nottingham Forest defeating Ferencváros. Fenerbahçe and Steaua Bucharest played to a 1-1 draw, as did Red Star Belgrade and Celta Vigo, and Panathinaikos and Roma, bringing the group stage to a close and setting the stage for the knockout rounds draw.
