The draw for the Europa League play-off round has been made, setting up two intriguing ties for British clubs. Nottingham Forest have been paired with Turkish giants Fenerbahce, while Scottish champions Celtic will face German side Stuttgart.
Full Europa League Play-Off Draw
The complete list of fixtures for the play-off round is as follows:
- Ludogorets vs Ferencvaros
- GNK Dinamo vs Genk
- Celtic vs Stuttgart
- Brann vs Bologna
- Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzen
- PAOK vs Celta Vigo
- Fenerbahce vs Nottingham Forest
- Lille vs Red Star Belgrade
Key Dates and Schedule
The first legs of these crucial play-off matches are scheduled to take place on February 19, with the return legs following exactly one week later on February 26. These matches will determine which teams progress to the next stage of the competition.
What Happens Next?
Once the play-off round concludes, the draw for the Europa League last-16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals will be conducted on February 27. This will set the path for the remainder of the tournament.
Teams Already Through to Last-16
Several clubs have already secured their place in the Europa League last-16 by finishing in the top eight positions during the league phase. These teams are:
- Lyon
- Aston Villa
- FC Midtjylland
- Real Betis
- Porto
- Braga
- Freiburg
- Roma
These sides will await the winners of the play-off round to discover their opponents in the knockout stages.
The draw presents significant challenges for both Nottingham Forest and Celtic. Forest face a tough away trip to Istanbul to take on Fenerbahce, a club with considerable European experience. Meanwhile, Celtic will host Stuttgart at Celtic Park in what promises to be a closely contested encounter between two historic clubs.
