Europa League is ready to return to the field with the playoffs that will determine the other eight teams promoted to the round of 16. A round that will be played on Thursday, February 19, with the first legs and then on Thursday, February 26 with the return matches.
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Regarding the Italian teams, if Roma finished the league phase in eighth place and thus secured direct access to the round of 16, Bologna, with its tenth position, will have to go through the playoffs to continue its journey in the second European competition.
Important indications are emerging about who could lift the trophy at the Vodafone Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 20. Bookmakers obviously have their favorites, so let’s look in detail at who has excellent chances of winning the Europa League.
Let’s see what awaits us and, to not miss all our predictions, follow the specific pages: Today’s Predictions and Today’s Betting Slips, without forgetting the section dedicated to Boosted Odds.
Europa League: what did the league phase tell us
The Europa League will return to the field next week, along with the Champions League, for the first legs of the playoffs. The eight matchdays of the single group stage have delivered three types of verdicts: the eight qualified for the round of 16, the 16 teams that will play the playoffs to reach the top eight, and finally, the clubs that finished from twenty-fifth place onwards and have already said goodbye to European competitions.
In the overall standings, it’s a two-way race for first place: Lyon and Aston Villa both finished with 21 points, with the French team favored by goal difference, namely +13 compared to +8 for the English team. Behind this duo, here is the big surprise of the league phase, with Midtjylland taking third place. The Danes, with 19 points, deservedly advance to the round of 16.
At 17 points, we find a quartet of teams: Betis Sevilla, Porto, Braga, and Freiburg. Curiously, the goal difference, +6, is the same for all, so to establish the ranking order, the second parameter had to be considered: goals scored. Betis and Porto are also tied in this regard, with 13 goals each, so the third step comes into play, which is goals scored away from home, and the Andalusians had the upper hand over the Dragons in this aspect.
Completing the top eight in the standings is Roma. Giampiero Gasperini‘s men, despite home losses against Lille and Viktoria Plzen, finished with 16 points: the same points obtained by Genk, but the Belgian team is ninth due to a goal difference of +4, compared to +7 for the Giallorossi. In short, the last spot was snatched by the skin of their teeth by Dybala and company, securing direct access to the round of 16.
For just one point, Bologna missed out on the top 8: fifteen points gathered by Vincenzo Italiano‘s squad, who finished in tenth place, behind Genk, tied with Stuttgart. The Rossoblu recorded a goal difference of +7, against the +6 of the Germans, who drop to eleventh place.
In the upper part of the playoffs, and therefore with the second leg at home, there are also Ferencvaros, Nottingham Forest, Viktoria Plzen, Red Star, and Celta Vigo, who have 13 points. In the lower part of the playoff zone, we have Paok Thessaloniki, Lille, Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Celtic, Ludogorets, Dinamo Zagreb, and Brann; the Norwegians, with 9 points, finished tied with Young Boys, but the -2 goal difference was enough compared to the -6 of the Swiss, who are therefore the first eliminated team, in twenty-fifth place.
Along with the Bern club, Sturm Graz, Steaua Bucharest, G.A. Eagles, Feyenoord, Basel, Salzburg, Rangers, Nice, Utrecht, Malmo, and Maccabi Tel Aviv also bid farewell to the Europa League. Below is the final league phase standings.
| POSITION | TEAM | POINTS | GOAL DIFFERENCE |
| 1 | Lyon | 21 | 13 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 21 | 8 |
| 3 | Midtjylland | 19 | 10 |
| 4 | Betis Sevilla | 17 | 6 |
| 5 | Porto | 17 | 6 |
| 6 | Braga | 17 | 6 |
| 7 | Freiburg | 17 | 6 |
| 8 | Roma | 16 | 7 |
| 9 | Genk | 16 | 4 |
| 10 | Bologna | 15 | 7 |
| 11 | Stuttgart | 15 | 6 |
| 12 | Ferencvaros | 15 | 1 |
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 14 | 8 |
| 14 | Viktoria Plzen | 14 | 5 |
| 15 | Red Star | 14 | 1 |
| 16 | Celta Vigo | 13 | 4 |
| 17 | Paok Thessaloniki | 12 | 3 |
| 18 | Lille | 12 | 3 |
| 19 | Fenerbahce | 12 | 3 |
| 20 | Panathinaikos | 12 | 2 |
| 21 | Celtic | 11 | -2 |
| 22 | Ludogorets | 10 | -3 |
| 23 | Dinamo Zagreb | 10 | -4 |
| 24 | Brann | 9 | -2 |
| 25 | Young Boys | 9 | -6 |
| 26 | Sturm Graz | 7 | -6 |
| 27 | Steaua Bucharest | 7 | -7 |
| 28 | G.A. Eagles | 7 | -8 |
| 29 | Feyenoord | 6 | -4 |
| 30 | Basel | 6 | -4 |
| 31 | Salzburg | 6 | -5 |
| 32 | Rangers | 4 | -9 |
| 33 | Nice | 3 | -8 |
| 34 | Utrecht | 1 | -10 |
| 35 | Malmo | 1 | -11 |
| 36 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1 | -20 |
The complete playoff picture
Eight double-headers to determine which teams will advance to the round of 16 and which will drop out of European competition. The Europa League playoffs will be played between Thursday, February 19, and Thursday, February 26. Let’s look at the details.
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First leg matches:
- Brann – Bologna, 18:45
- Dinamo Zagreb – Genk, 18:45
- Fenerbahce – Nottingham Forest, 18:45
- Paok Thessaloniki – Genk, 18:45
- Celtic – Stuttgart, 21:00
- Lille – Red Star, 21:00
- Ludogorets – Ferencvaros, 21:00
- Panathinaikos – Viktoria Plzen, 21:00
Return leg matches:
- Viktoria Plzen – Panathinaikos, 18:45
- Ferencvaros – Ludogorets, 18:45
- Red Star – Lille, 18:45
- Stuttgart – Celtic, 18:45
- Genk – Paok Thessaloniki, 21:00
- Nottingham Forest – Fenerbahce, 21:00
- Genk – Dinamo Zagreb, 21:00
- Bologna – Brann, 21:00.
Europa League: Unai Emery’s Aston Villa is the clear favorite
Let’s now turn to the favorites to win the Europa League 2025-2026. Bookmakers have no doubts, and Aston Villa remains the main favorite: not only because of the strength of the team, which is third in the league and fighting with City and Arsenal for the title, but especially because of the presence of Unai Emery on the bench.
The Spanish coach is nicknamed the “King of Cups” after winning the Europa League three times with Sevilla, along with his triumph as coach of Villarreal. In short, four Europa League titles in the trophy cabinet for the current Villans manager. Behind the English team is Roma: a team of caliber and on the bench, a coach who led Atalanta to victory in the competition in 2023. Giampiero Gasperini also knows how to win this trophy.
Another Italian presence is on the third step of the virtual podium of ante-post odds: Francesco Farioli, fresh from a contract renewal until 2029, is building a sensational season at the helm of Porto, and the Dragons have all the credentials to reach the final on May 20 and lift the trophy.
In the mix, close to the top three, are Paulo Fonseca’s Lyon, Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest, Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis Sevilla, and finally, the other Italian contender, Bologna. Vincenzo Italiano‘s team, as we will see, is not starting in the front row, but the Emilian coach himself is a sniper in cups.
Further back are four teams that could be the dark horses of the competition: the German teams Stuttgart and Freiburg, the French team Lille with Olivier Giroud in attack, and the never-say-die Fenerbahce: average odds for this quartet range between 20 and 25. Finally, a special mention for the surprise of this Europa League: Midtjylland is certainly not at the level of the mentioned teams, but for now, they are looking down on everyone. Averaging 40.00, they are the classic Underdog who could cause an upset.
Let’s look at the details.
| Team |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | 4.00 | 3.75 | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Roma | 8.00 | 8.00 | 8.00 | 7.50 |
| Porto | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 |
| Betis Sevilla | 11.00 | 11.00 | 12.00 | 10.00 |
| Lyon | 11.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 |
| Nottingham F. | 12.50 | 13.00 | 12.00 | 12.50 |
| Bologna | 14.00 | 13.00 | 16.00 | 15.00 |
The Prediction: Farioli as the third contender?
Aston Villa and Roma are a step above the rest, but it’s impossible not to consider Porto. Francesco Farioli‘s team is flying in the league with record-breaking performances, and in the Europa League, they have all the credentials to be the third contender, between the Clarets and the Giallorossi. And the Italian coach’s renewal until 2029 is a factor that can give an extra boost to the Dragons.
The Portuguese have already won the competition twice: in 2003 when it was still called the UEFA Cup and then in 2011 under its current name. After 15 years of waiting, this could be the time, and Porto becomes our favorite.
We have developed our predictions based on the odds offered by Italian betting operators, who are authorized by ADM/AAMS to operate in the national territory. Legal bookmakers also offer betting bonuses on the first deposit to new customers. Here is a comparison:
All the dates for the second half of the season
- Thursday, February 19: first leg of the playoffs
- Thursday, February 26: return leg of the playoffs
- Thursday, March 12: first leg of the round of 16
- Thursday, March 19: return leg of the round of 16
- Thursday, April 9: first leg of the quarterfinals
- Thursday, April 16: return leg of the quarterfinals
- Thursday, April 30: first leg of the semifinals
- Thursday, May 7: return leg of the semifinals
- Wednesday, May 20: final at the Vodafone Arena in Istanbul, at 21:00.
Europa League: where to watch it on TV?
The Europa League, like all European cups, is broadcast live on exclusive TV on Sky, and streaming is available on SkyGo and NowTv.
The Roll of Honor of the competition
From the first edition in 1971-72 to the 2008-09 season, the competition’s name was UEFA Cup. From 2009-2010, it transitioned to the current Europa League. Below are all the champions. The number of titles is in parentheses.
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- 1971-1972: Tottenham
- 1972-1973: Liverpool
- 1973-1974: Feyenoord
- 1974-1975: Borussia M’gladbach
- 1975-1976: Liverpool (2)
- 1976-1977: Juventus
- 1977-1978: PSV
- 1978-1979: Borussia M’gladbach (2)
- 1979-1980: Eintracht Frankfurt
- 1980-1981: Ipswich Town
- 1981-1982: IFK Göteborg
- 1982-1983: Anderlecht
- 1983-1984: Tottenham (2)
- 1984-1985: Real Madrid
- 1985-1986: Real Madrid (2)
- 1986-1987: FK Göteborg (2)
- 1987-1988: Bayer Leverkusen
- 1988-1989: Napoli
- 1989-1990: Juventus (2)
- 1990-1991: Inter
- 1991-1992: Ajax
- 1992-1993: Juventus (3)
- 1993-1994: Inter (2)
- 1994-1995: Parma
- 1995-1996: Bayern Munich
- 1996-1997: Schalke 04
- 1997-1998: Inter (3)
- 1998-1999: Parma (2)
- 1999-2000: Galatasaray
- 2000-2001: Liverpool (3)
- 2001-2002: Feyenoord (2)
- 2002-2003: Porto
- 2003-2004: Valencia
- 2004-2005: CSKA Moscow
- 2005-2006: Sevilla
- 2006-2007: Sevilla (2)
- 2007-2008: Zenit Saint Petersburg
- 2008-2009: Shakhtar Donetsk
- 2009-2010: Atlético Madrid
- 2010-2011: Porto (2)
- 2011-2012: Atlético Madrid (2)
- 2012-2013: Chelsea
- 2013-2014: Sevilla (3)
- 2014-2015: Sevilla (4)
- 2015-2016: Sevilla (5)
- 2016-2017: Manchester Utd
- 2017-2018: Atlético Madrid (3)
- 2018-2019: Chelsea (2)
- 2019-2020: Sevilla (6)
- 2020-2021: Villarreal
- 2021-2022: Eintracht Frankfurt (2)
- 2022-2023: Sevilla (7)
- 2023-2024: Atalanta
- 2024-2025: Tottenham (3)
- 2025-2026: ?
