Villa’s Full Europa League Picture
Aston Villa’s Europa League campaign has already delivered a significant strategic advantage before the knockout phase has even begun.
Unai Emery’s side finished second in the league stage, level on points with Olympique Lyonnais but edged out on goal difference, having won seven of their eight fixtures. That top-two finish carries major rewards. Villa have secured second-leg home advantage for the remainder of the competition, a detail that could prove decisive as the margins tighten.
Just as important was finishing inside the top eight, which allowed Villa to bypass the knockout play-off round entirely. That decision alone effectively buys the squad six weeks of recovery time, a critical window given the long-term injuries to John McGinn and Youri Tielemans.
Check out the full Europa League table here
Europa League Squad Additions
On completion of the league stage, Villa could register a maximum of three new eligible players for the knockout stage. The deadline for these registrations was 5 February 2026 and Villa selected Tammie Abraham, Douglas Luiz and Leon Bailey.
Harvey Elliott stays in the squad, while Ross Barkley remains out of it. New signing Alysson wasn’t included either.
As expected, Boubacar Kamara, Evann Guessand and Donyell Malen were removed.
The Last 16 Picture
Villa will discover their round of 16 opponents at the end of February, once the play-off round has been completed. The draw will hand them one of four possible opponents:
- PAOK
- Red Star Belgrade
- Lille OSC
- Celta Vigo
From there, the route hopefully leads back to Istanbul in May, where Villa would hope to contest a first European final since 1982.
When are the 2025/26 Europa League draws?
UEFA will conduct a single draw covering the remainder of the competition on 27 February 2026.
This draw will define the entire bracket, meaning clubs will be able to map their potential route all the way to the final from that point onward.
When are the 2025/26 Europa League knockout matches?
- Knockout phase play-offs: 19 & 26 February 2026
- Round of 16: 12 & 19 March 2026
- Quarter-finals: 9 & 16 April 2026
- Semi-finals: 30 April & 7 May 2026
- Final: 20 May 2026
Where is the 2026 Europa League final?
The 2025/26 Europa League final will be staged at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul on Wednesday, 20 May 2026.
The stadium previously hosted the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, where Liverpool defeated Chelsea on penalties.
For Villa, the groundwork has already been laid. A top-two finish, a clear recovery window for key players, and a defined path through the draw with second-leg home advantage.
UTV
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