Europa League: Who qualified to knockouts - and who could play who next?
2025-01-31
Category: sports

With the final round of Europa League group-phase games finished, we finally know who has reached the knockout stage.Manchester United's 2-0 win at FCSB means they are the only club to come through the group matches with an unbeaten record and they go straight to the last 16.An injury-hit Tottenham beat Elfsborg 3-0 and Rangers saw off Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1 to also avoid extra games in the knockout play-offs. These are the teams through to each stage:Last 16: Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United, Tottenham, Eintracht Frankfurt, Lyon, Olympiakos, Rangers.Knockout phase play-offs: Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, FCSB, Ajax, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Roma, Ferencvaros, Viktoria Plzen, Porto, Midtjylland, Union Saint-Gilloise, AZ Alkmaar, PAOK, Twente, Fenerbahce.Eliminated: Braga, Elfsborg, Hoffenheim, Besiktas, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Slavia Prague, Malmo, Rigas FC, Ludogorets, Dynamo Kyiv, Nice, Qarabag.
Who meets in the knockout phase play-offs?
The teams who finished between ninth and 24th play two-legged play-off ties on 13 and 20 February to decide who goes through to the last 16.The draw will take place on Friday, 31 January at 12:00 GMT... but teams already know which sides they have a 50-50 chance of meeting because of their final positions in the league phase.None of the three British sides in the competition are involved in this stage.Teams also know the two possible clubs they could face in the last 16 if they progress through the play-off.Fenerbahce or Twente will face either Bodo/Glimt or Anderlecht, with Ferencvaros or Porto set to meet Roma or Viktoria Plzen.Union Saint-Gilloise or PAOK take on FCSB or Ajax and AZ Alkmaar or Midtjylland can be drawn against Real Sociedad or Galatasaray.
Who meets in the last 16?
Manchester United or Tottenham will take on either AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Real Sociedad or Galatasaray in the last 16.Rangers will face either Twente, Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt or Anderlecht.Those ties will take place on 6 and 13 March.Italian city rivals Lazio and Roma also have a chance of meeting in the last 16.Clubs will not know which team exactly they will face until the last-16 draw takes place on 21 February.Potential routes to the final will be known by then - with the draws for the quarters and semis also taking place that day.
Which British clubs could meet further down the line?
Manchester United and Tottenham cannot meet until the final after finishing the group phase in third and fourth respectively, ensuring they end up on opposite sides of the bracket.But one of them could come up against Rangers in the semi-finals.All should become clearer after 21 February when the draws for the last 16 onwards are made.