Europa League draw as it stands as Aston Villa, Forest, Celtic learn opponents | Football | Sport

The Europa League knockout bracket will be confirmed next week with 18 matches all being played at the same time. Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Celtic are among those in action, with Villa’s spot in the last 16 already confirmed courtesy of securing a top-eight spot. Unai Emery’s charges have won six of their seven matches so cannot finish any lower than seventh, regardless of what happens in their final match at home to RB Salzburg. The Austrian outfit go into the game 28th and need to win to stand any chance of making the knockout playoffs.

Two teams likely heading for the playoffs are Nottingham Forest and Celtic. Forest’s defeat at Braga this week means they need to beat seventh-placed Ferencvaros at the City Ground next Thursday while hoping results elsewhere go in their favour to finish in the top eight. The teams that finish 9th to 24th will be paired against one another over two legs in order to join the top eight in the round of 16.

Thanks to the new format of the competition and its seedings, we already have an idea of who Villa, Forest and Celtic might face in the knockouts – though the table is obviously subject to change on the final night of league phase games.

If the draw was conducted today, with Nottingham Forest sat 16th, their opponents in the play-offs would be either Viktoria Plzen (17th) or Fenerbahce (18th). If Sean Dyche’s side won that tie, next up in the last 16 would be either first-placed Lyon or Premier League rivals Villa (2nd) in a thrilling showdown.

Celtic, meanwhile, occupy the last playoff spot as it stands. The Scottish champions’ final match sees them host winless Utrecht at Parkhead. Victory would guarantee Celtic’s spot in the playoffs while a draw, or a defeat, would leave them sweating on results elsewhere. Their Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers, sat 31st, have already been eliminated from playoff contention having won just one of seven games, losing five.

With Celtic sat 24th, they are currently facing the prospect of taking on Porto (9th) or Genk (10th) in the playoffs. If the draw was conducted today, whichever team of the two they were not drawn against, 23rd-placed Young Boys would take on. Then, if Celtic won that two-legged playoff tie, right now they would be paired in the round of 16 with either Ferencvaros (7th) or Real Betis (8th).

It is a daunting potential draw for Forest and the Hoops. But all can still change. Celtic sit 24th on eight points but if they win, could still finish as high as 19th. Their goal difference – currently -4 – means they are unlikely to be able to end higher up the table than that.

As it stands, Aston Villa sit second in the table. That means they would avoid first-placed Lyon all the way to the final. And right now, they would face one of four teams in the last 16: Bologna (15th), Forest (16th), Viktoria Plzen (17th) or Fenerbahce (18th).

The Villans beat Fenerbahce 1-0 last week, away in Turkey, to secure their top-eight spot. They also defeated Bologna at Villa Park back in September, winning 1-0. They have faced Forest once so far in the Premier League this season and came out 3-1 victors.

Emery has won the Europa League four times already as a manager – three with Sevilla and once with Villarreal when they defeated Manchester United in the 2021 final in Gdansk. The Spanish coach also led Arsenal to the 2019 Europa League final before they lost to Chelsea in Baku. This year’s final takes place in Istanbul at Besiktas’ home stadium.