Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest Learn Europa League Last-16 Opponents

Aston Villa will face Lille in the Europa League last 16, while Nottingham Forest will play a rematch against FC Midtjylland. Both Premier League sides learned their opponents on Friday, following their qualification through the play-offs on Thursday evening.

Europa League Draw Details

Aston Villa’s path will observe them take on French side Lille, a repeat of their Europa Conference League quarter-final clash in 2024, which Villa won on penalties . Nottingham Forest will face FC Midtjylland, having previously lost 3-2 at home to the Danish side in October during Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as manager .

Path to the Last 16

Nottingham Forest overcame Fenerbahce 4-2 on aggregate, despite a 2-1 defeat in the second leg at home. Forest had secured a convincing 3-0 win in Istanbul in the first leg . Crystal Palace also progressed to the last 16 of the Europa Conference League, securing a rematch with AEK Larnaca after beating Zrinjski Mostar 3-1 on aggregate .

Potential Semi-Final Clash

Both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are on the same side of the draw, meaning a potential semi-final clash between the two Premier League teams is possible .

Key Dates

The last-16 first legs will be played on March 12, with the second legs scheduled for March 19. The quarter-finals are set for April 9 and 16 and the semi-finals will take place on April 30 and May 7 .

Further Potential Opponents

If Aston Villa progress past Lille, they could face either Roma or Bologna in the quarter-finals. Should Nottingham Forest overcome Midtjylland, they would play Stuttgart or Porto .

Finals Information

The Europa League final will be held at Besiktas Park in Istanbul on May 20, while the Conference League final will be held at the Leipzig Stadium on May 27 .