Europa League knockout phase play-off draw: Fenerbahçe vs Nottingham Forest, Celtic vs Stuttgart

The ties are set after the Europa League knockout phase play-off draw was made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Draw as it happened

What are the Europa League knockout phase play-off ties?

Knockout phase play-off fixtures

Matches kick off at 21:00 CET unless stated

First legs: 19 February

Fenerbahçe vs Nottingham Forest (18:45 CET)
GNK Dinamo vs Genk (18:45 CET)
PAOK vs Celta (18:45 CET)
Brann vs Bologna (18:45 CET)
Celtic vs Stuttgart
Lille vs Crvena Zvezda
Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzeň
Ludogorets vs Ferencváros

Second legs: 26 February

Viktoria Plzeň vs Panathinaikos (18:45 CET)
Ferencváros vs Ludogorets (18:45 CET)
Crvena Zvezda vs Lille (18:45 CET)
Stuttgart vs Celtic (18:45 CET)
Bologna vs Brann
Genk vs GNK Dinamo
Nottingham Forest vs Fenerbahçe
Celta vs PAOK

When are the knockout phase play-off games?

The first legs are scheduled to be played on Thursday 19 February with the second legs set to take place one week later on Thursday 26 February.

However, the UEFA administration decides on match dates and fixture reversals on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the applicable principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.

If matches are impacted by stadium or city clashes, these will be resolved in accordance with the applicable principles set by the Club Competitions Committee.

What happens after the Europa League knockout phase play-offs?

The winners of each tie will advance to the round of 16, joining the top eight sides from the league phase who secured automatic progression.

The round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final draw takes place on Friday 27 February 2026.

Who is already through to the last 16?

Aston Villa, Braga, Freiburg, Lyon, Midtjylland, Porto, Real Betis, Roma

How did the Europa League knockout phase play-off draw work?

The fixtures for the knockout phase play-offs were determined by means of a draw conducted in accordance with the following principles:

a. The clubs were paired based on their positions at the end of the league phase to form four seeded pairs (clubs in positions 9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and 15 and 16) and four unseeded pairs (positions 17 and 18, 19 and 20, 21 and 22, and 23 and 24).

b. The clubs in each seeded pair were drawn into the knockout phase bracket, against the clubs in each unseeded pair: clubs 9 or 10 against clubs 23 or 24, clubs 11 or 12 against clubs 21 or 22, clubs 13 or 14 against clubs 19 or 20, and clubs 15 or 16 against clubs 17 or 18.

Europa League knockout phase dates

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 (Istanbul)