Europa League Round of 16: First Leg Results and Key Takeaways

The first leg matches of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 concluded on Thursday, March 12, 2026, with several compelling results and surprising outcomes. Here’s a detailed recap of all the action.

Match Results

• VfB Stuttgart 1 – 2 FC Porto: Porto secured a crucial away victory against Stuttgart.
• Bologna 1 – 1 AS Roma: An Italian affair ended in a draw between Bologna and Roma.
• Panathinaikos 1 – 0 Real Betis: Panathinaikos defeated Real Betis, despite Betis playing with a man down after Zaroury’s red card. Swiderski earned a penalty converted by Taborda to secure the win.
• Lille 0 – 1 Aston Villa: Aston Villa continued their strong form with a narrow win away at Lille, thanks to a goal from Watkins.
• Nottingham Forest 0 – 1 Midtjylland: Midtjylland achieved a positive result with a 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest.
• Genk 1 – 0 SC Freiburg: Genk edged out Freiburg with a 1-0 victory.
• Ferencvaros 2 – 0 Braga: Ferencvaros dominated Braga, winning 2-0.
• Celta Vigo 2 – 2 Olympique Lyon: Celta Vigo and Olympique Lyon played out a 2-2 draw.

Key Highlights

• Porto’s Away Win: Despite resting several starters, Porto managed to secure a significant advantage for the return leg against Stuttgart.
• Panathinaikos’ Resilience: Playing with one player less for a significant portion of the match, Panathinaikos managed to overcome Real Betis.
• Aston Villa’s Continued Success: Villa secured a valuable away win in France, despite a downturn in their Premier League form.

Second Leg Details

The second leg of the Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2026. The winning teams will advance to the Europa League quarter-finals.

Source: OneFootball