Aston Villa are looking forward to discovering their path to the Europa League final
Aston Villa are targeting Europa League glory this season
Aston Villa are targeting Europa League glory this season(Image: Getty Images)
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Aston Villa are one of the favourites to win the Europa League this season as Unai Emery looks to end the club’s 30-year wait for silverware.
Villa finished second in the league phase table, securing automatic qualification for the last 16.
After finishing in the top two alongside Lyon, Villa will also have the advantage of playing at home in the second legs of the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, should they progress that far.
With seven wins and just one loss, which came against Go Ahead Eagles, Villa earned two more points than last season’s top two Europa League group stage teams, Lazio and Athletic Club.
Villa will face one of Lille or Crvena zvezda, or Celta Vigo or PAOK in the round of 16.
Once these teams complete their second legs next Thursday, Villa will be drawn against one of the two successful teams on Friday, February 27, where they will also learn their pathway to the final.
The two teams who finished in the top eight of the league phase and who Villa could face in the quarter-finals are either Freiburg or AS Roma.
Villa will be on the same side of the knockout bracket as one of these two, who will play either Dinamo Zagreb, Genk, Brann, or Bologna.
Knockout round fixture dates
Round of 16: 12 & 19 March 2026 Quarter-finals: 9 & 16 April 2026 Semi-finals: 30 April & 7 May 2026 Final: 20 May 2026 (Istanbul)
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