UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Season

[FanEagle]

While it's true that finishing top at the group stage doesn't mean that you are going to win it, I would like to also mention that there are already only just handful of teams that may win here, same like UCL and for that reason there aren't that many people looking at other teams.

Lyon, Aston Villa, Porto, these are all great teams and they have the power of being great football clubs behind them and yeah they are at the top too. So in this case, we are not going to see some team like Plzen or Celtics or whatever to win the title this year, that's not going to happen because it would not be possible to beat multiple great teams back to back. If it was just one game, anyone in the world can beat anyone in the world for a single game, but when it's multiple games AND multiple rounds, that becomes harder.

[katanic97]

I agree, but this is a new format of competition, and in my opinion it was better when it was played in groups and when the third placed teams from the UCL went to the UEL. Back then, it sometimes turned out that the europa league was stronger than the champions league In general, i agree that there are always surprises and that the favorites definitely need to be careful, but those surprises tend to show up more in the quarterfinals and later. I think there will certainly be surprises, it’s just a question of when we will see them

Of course, there gon be some surprises for us but not so soon. We might see it either in the semifinals or finals if an unexpected team wins one of the teams that we all thought is the favorite to win the league. I'm enjoying this new format because no club can boldly say that they will win all their 8 group stage matches. Some big clubs strives to qualify to the round of 16.

Well, you know, with this format there are more teams, which automatically means one more match where things can change in the blink of an eye. You’re right when you say that many clubs struggle to qualify, because matches like these are always different. I’m not even sure who i could pick as the favorite to win it, but in general i think it could be Aston Villa

[verdinio]

While it's true that finishing top at the group stage doesn't mean that you are going to win it, I would like to also mention that there are already only just handful of teams that may win here, same like UCL and for that reason there aren't that many people looking at other teams.

Lyon, Aston Villa, Porto, these are all great teams and they have the power of being great football clubs behind them and yeah they are at the top too. So in this case, we are not going to see some team like Plzen or Celtics or whatever to win the title this year, that's not going to happen because it would not be possible to beat multiple great teams back to back. If it was just one game, anyone in the world can beat anyone in the world for a single game, but when it's multiple games AND multiple rounds, that becomes harder.

In fact, there are teams that are very strong in the group stage and perhaps finish ahead of all the other teams who then don't manage to do much. i understand that these teams are necessarily strong but that they don't always manage to win and move forward. i understand that these situations ultimately bring out the best in the teams.

[Hvdv]

While it's true that finishing top at the group stage doesn't mean that you are going to win it, I would like to also mention that there are already only just handful of teams that may win here, same like UCL and for that reason there aren't that many people looking at other teams.

Lyon, Aston Villa, Porto, these are all great teams and they have the power of being great football clubs behind them and yeah they are at the top too. So in this case, we are not going to see some team like Plzen or Celtics or whatever to win the title this year, that's not going to happen because it would not be possible to beat multiple great teams back to back. If it was just one game, anyone in the world can beat anyone in the world for a single game, but when it's multiple games AND multiple rounds, that becomes harder.

In fact, there are teams that are very strong in the group stage and perhaps finish ahead of all the other teams who then don't manage to do much. i understand that these teams are necessarily strong but that they don't always manage to win and move forward. i understand that these situations ultimately bring out the best in the teams.

The matchups after the playoffs will be what really reveals everyone's thoughts. Because there are some strong matchups. There will be a tough playoff match between Fenerbahçe and Nottingham Forest. Regardless of which team from the top eight advances, it will be a difficult matchup. As a Turk, that's the first thing that came to my mind. As you know, Fenerbahçe made some great transfers to improve their team.

[paco92x]

The matchups after the playoffs will be what really reveals everyone's thoughts. Because there are some strong matchups. There will be a tough playoff match between Fenerbahçe and Nottingham Forest. Regardless of which team from the top eight advances, it will be a difficult matchup. As a Turk, that's the first thing that came to my mind. As you know, Fenerbahçe made some great transfers to improve their team.

As things now stand, my bet is also on the Turks. They have signed some really good players, so they mean business. As for Nottingham, they have been performing badly in the EPL, and the relegation zone is getting closer, so their focus may primarily be on English football rather than Europe. The Turks will definitely use that to their advantage.

[Callido]

In fact, there are teams that are very strong in the group stage and perhaps finish ahead of all the other teams who then don't manage to do much. i understand that these teams are necessarily strong but that they don't always manage to win and move forward. i understand that these situations ultimately bring out the best in the teams.

I can only talk about what Aston Villa can do in the competition, i don't know about Porto, Roma or any other club in the tournament, I'm expecting a Premier League club to be in the final, it doesn't seem to be Nottingham, while Aston Villa are keeping up to standard, i'm believing they are favorites for the league title.

[ShowOff]

In fact, there are teams that are very strong in the group stage and perhaps finish ahead of all the other teams who then don't manage to do much. i understand that these teams are necessarily strong but that they don't always manage to win and move forward. i understand that these situations ultimately bring out the best in the teams.

I can only talk about what Aston Villa can do in the competition, i don't know about Porto, Roma or any other club in the tournament, I'm expecting a Premier League club to be in the final, it doesn't seem to be Nottingham, while Aston Villa are keeping up to standard, i'm believing they are favorites for the league title.

Aston Villa deserve to be favourites, looking at their journey in the Europa League so far, as well as their performance in the Premier League, I think many people would agree to put them as the main candidate. Nottingham Forest seems to have to prioritize saving themselves from the brink of relegation, that is far more important than anything else at the moment. On the other hand, the strength of teams such as AS Roma, Porto and several others is actually also worth taking into account, because they have the mentality and are experienced enough to compete in European competitions.

[paco92x]

I can only talk about what Aston Villa can do in the competition, i don't know about Porto, Roma or any other club in the tournament, I'm expecting a Premier League club to be in the final, it doesn't seem to be Nottingham, while Aston Villa are keeping up to standard, i'm believing they are favorites for the league title.

You’re right — Aston Villa is the main candidate, but as it is in football, nothing is carved in stone. Most likely there will be some surprise in the final. I would say someone like Celta or Lyon, depending on the playoff positions.

We are finally underway this week. I’m so happy that Europa games are back — good football awaits us this Wednesday and Thursday  .

[Bobrox]

Next middle week, UEFA Europe League have several the playoff round matches for the first leg and its the journey begin for any team want to secure the round of 16 position, has 16 teams will secure 8 ticket for qualifying to knock out round and has several top Europe club must playing the playoff round such as Nottingham Forest, Fenerbahce, Bologna, Celta Vigo and Stuttgart. Interested the match Fenerbahce vs Nott Forest as crucial match for both teams but Nottingham Forest on difficult position after sacking manager in Premier League due several poor performance.

Here the playoff round match of UEFA Europe League first leg will play at Friday, 20 February

• Paok vs Celta Vigo
• Bran vs Bologna
• Dinamo Zagreb vs Genk
• Fenerbahce vs Nottm Forest
• Ludogorets vs Ferencvaros
• Lille vs Crevena
• Celtic vs Stuttgart
• Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzen

[Akbarkoe]

I can only talk about what Aston Villa can do in the competition, i don't know about Porto, Roma or any other club in the tournament, I'm expecting a Premier League club to be in the final, it doesn't seem to be Nottingham, while Aston Villa are keeping up to standard, i'm believing they are favorites for the league title.

As a league follower I suggest you also read how other teams compete because it will be very useful especially if you like betting, your insight will be broader regarding the course of the league, when we only focus on one team our view will be narrow, for this season Aston Villa is indeed the favorite, even on this forum I often read that many people believe in Aston Villa, Unai Emery really deserves this kind of attention with Aston Villa's performance this season, currently it is just a hope that we have not yet seen how the results will be because we have seen matches from other teams such as Lyon, Betis, Porto and Roma can also be the executioners to stop Aston Villa.

[Not your key not your BTC]

While it's true that finishing top at the group stage doesn't mean that you are going to win it, I would like to also mention that there are already only just handful of teams that may win here, same like UCL and for that reason there aren't that many people looking at other teams.

Lyon, Aston Villa, Porto, these are all great teams and they have the power of being great football clubs behind them and yeah they are at the top too. So in this case, we are not going to see some team like Plzen or Celtics or whatever to win the title this year, that's not going to happen because it would not be possible to beat multiple great teams back to back. If it was just one game, anyone in the world can beat anyone in the world for a single game, but when it's multiple games AND multiple rounds, that becomes harder.

Essentially, only the team that can perform consistently throughout the competition will win the title. The UEFA Europa League is always full of surprises, just like the Champions League, and it's not easy for a team to maintain good and consistent performances throughout the tournament, as they also compete in their respective domestic leagues. Lyon, Aston Villa, and Porto have performed well so far in the UEFA Europa League, but how far they will go in this tournament remains to be seen. The teams competing in the knockout stages are just as strong. However, I predict that the UEFA Europa League trophy will be won by Lyon, Aston Villa, and Porto.

[GiftedMAN]

I can only talk about what Aston Villa can do in the competition, i don't know about Porto, Roma or any other club in the tournament, I'm expecting a Premier League club to be in the final, it doesn't seem to be Nottingham, while Aston Villa are keeping up to standard, i'm believing they are favorites for the league title.

You are probably not watching the other teams from other leagues I guess that's why you think they can't make it to the finals, well, Aston Villa has been exceptional in the competition likewise Porto and Roma and they are in the position to get to the finals if you remain consistent and not become too relaxed because of their previous results since they began the competition. Aston Villa appear to be more better than Forest in the competition but it takes them to qualify to the finals before they can get there.

[Swordsoffreedom]

You’re right — Aston Villa is the main candidate, but as it is in football, nothing is carved in stone. Most likely there will be some surprise in the final. I would say someone like Celta or Lyon, depending on the playoff positions.

We are finally underway this week. I’m so happy that Europa games are back — good football awaits us this Wednesday and Thursday  .

Aston villa is one of the most  worthy teams to win the Europa League title. There is no doubt about it. This team is strong. They have all the potential to become europa league champions. Even then it cannot be said for certain that Villa will be  champions.

Roma, Lyon and porto cannot be underestimated. All three of these groups are strong. Lyon finished the first round at the top of the table. They are giving full effort in europa league. At the same time, the roma team is also very strong this season. So there is no doubt  that the battle for the Europa League title will be very  intense. I consider Aston Villa, Roma and Lyon to be the favorites to win the title.

[Pandu Geddon]

You are probably not watching the other teams from other leagues I guess that's why you think they can't make it to the finals, well, Aston Villa has been exceptional in the competition likewise Porto and Roma and they are in the position to get to the finals if you remain consistent and not become too relaxed because of their previous results since they began the competition. Aston Villa appear to be more better than Forest in the competition but it takes them to qualify to the finals before they can get there.

The journey to the final for Aston Villa is still quite long. The performance they have shown in this competition is indeed good, but just like in the Champions League and other competitions, the knockout stage will determine whether they can reach the final or not. Aston Villa has just lost 1-3 to Newcastle in the FA Cup match, a team whose performance in the Premier League is also below Aston Villa.

[GiftedMAN]

You are probably not watching the other teams from other leagues I guess that's why you think they can't make it to the finals, well, Aston Villa has been exceptional in the competition likewise Porto and Roma and they are in the position to get to the finals if you remain consistent and not become too relaxed because of their previous results since they began the competition. Aston Villa appear to be more better than Forest in the competition but it takes them to qualify to the finals before they can get there.

The journey to the final for Aston Villa is still quite long. The performance they have shown in this competition is indeed good, but just like in the Champions League and other competitions, the knockout stage will determine whether they can reach the final or not. Aston Villa has just lost 1-3 to Newcastle in the FA Cup match, a team whose performance in the Premier League is also below Aston Villa.

I understand what you mean here and I also believe that the performance of the team on the knockout stage will further determine if they will make it to rhr final or not which is why they need to be more serious now and give their best. I also watch them get defeated yesterday though their player was sent off so they played with one man down that affected their performance and made them lose the game. They have to improve in their coming games if they want to make it to the Europa League finals.

[$weetne$$]

In fact, there are teams that are very strong in the group stage and perhaps finish ahead of all the other teams who then don't manage to do much. i understand that these teams are necessarily strong but that they don't always manage to win and move forward. i understand that these situations ultimately bring out the best in the teams.

I can only talk about what Aston Villa can do in the competition, i don't know about Porto, Roma or any other club in the tournament, I'm expecting a Premier League club to be in the final, it doesn't seem to be Nottingham, while Aston Villa are keeping up to standard, i'm believing they are favorites for the league title.

If you are talking about  Aston Villa been in the Finals, it is very much possible but what we cannot  tell exactly is if they will win the trophy appearing in the finals, another point of concern that will determine if they will win should they get to the final would be the opponent they will be facing in the finals, that top will determine if they are going to have a chance at the trophy or not this season.

[Minor Miner]

If you are talking about  Aston Villa been in the Finals, it is very much possible but what we cannot  tell exactly is if they will win the trophy appearing in the finals, another point of concern that will determine if they will win should they get to the final would be the opponent they will be facing in the finals, that top will determine if they are going to have a chance at the trophy or not this season.

Agree. Aston villa has the ability to qualify for the final. But the knockout round matches are not easy. Especially to qualify for the quarter finals, every team will be strong enough and everyone will have the goal of winning the title.

Aston villa, Roma, Lyon, Real Betis and Porto, none of the teams can be considered weak. Everyone will have the target of winning the Europa League title. And everyone has the ability to win the title. So like every time, there is no doubt that the Europa League title fight will be very intense this time too. But it is also true that Aston villa has the most chances of winning the title. Because the team is quite strong this season.

[Distraction]

Let's remember the draw for playoffs stage first.



The home sides in the first leg are just as it's shown in the image. Among these matchups the one I'm waiting for watching is Fenerbahçe - Forest. The favourite side by bookies is Fenerbahçe.

However we are talking about 2.26 odds. It isn't a clear situation as a result. Forest are already favoured @1.65 to advance to last 16. But I hope Fenerbahçe manage to win the first leg to have some hope for later.

In other cases, it's most probably the end of the road for them. 

[Merit.s]

If you are talking about  Aston Villa been in the Finals, it is very much possible but what we cannot  tell exactly is if they will win the trophy appearing in the finals, another point of concern that will determine if they will win should they get to the final would be the opponent they will be facing in the finals, that top will determine if they are going to have a chance at the trophy or not this season.

Aston Villa is having a wonderful season this time. Their performance has improved a lot and they are looking promising to reach the finals. I believe that the clubs in this competition ain't that tough like Aston Villa but we cannot judge them with their domestic league performance because they ain't used to each other game pattern.

Roma can be a threat to Aston Villa if they clash in the finals. One thing about this league is that, it's difficult to predict which club will lift up the trophy.

[Lida93]

While it's true that finishing top at the group stage doesn't mean that you are going to win it, I would like to also mention that there are already only just handful of teams that may win here, same like UCL and for that reason there aren't that many people looking at other teams.

Lyon, Aston Villa, Porto, these are all great teams and they have the power of being great football clubs behind them and yeah they are at the top too. So in this case, we are not going to see some team like Plzen or Celtics or whatever to win the title this year, that's not going to happen because it would not be possible to beat multiple great teams back to back. If it was just one game, anyone in the world can beat anyone in the world for a single game, but when it's multiple games AND multiple rounds, that becomes harder.

For me it's a two way thing, finishing at the top means a top would have performed very well during the group stages which was why they finished at the top, though there has been other situations where teams that performed well during group stages got knocked out too early at the knockout stages, perhaps that's the mystery behind football, but sometimes a good performance in the group stages helps in strengthening and also helps the team become dreadful to potential opponents.