In Nyon, Switzerland, the draw for the Europa League knockout playoff stage took place on Friday, unveiling an exciting set of matchups for the first and second legs scheduled in mid-February.
The first leg will kick off on February 13, featuring several captivating encounters. Twente from the Netherlands faces off against Norway’s Bodo/Glimt. Fenerbahce, representing Turkey, will go head-to-head with Belgian club Anderlecht. Another intriguing clash sees Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium take on Ajax, one of the Netherlands’ most storied teams. PAOK from Greece will meet Romania’s FCSB, while AZ Alkmaar will battle Turkey’s Galatasaray. Midtjylland from Denmark is set to challenge Spain’s Real Sociedad, while Hungary’s Ferencvaros will go against the Czech side Viktoria Plzen. Lastly, Porto from Portugal is scheduled to face Italy’s Roma.
The second leg of these fixtures will be played on February 20. Notably, Bodo/Glimt will host Twente, where the victor will advance to face either Olympiakos from Greece or Scotland’s Rangers. Anderlecht will welcome Fenerbahce, with the winner set to play the same potential opponents, Olympiakos or Rangers. Ajax’s match against Union Saint-Gilloise will see the winner move on to play against either Eintracht Frankfurt from Germany or French side Lyon. Similarly, FCSB will host PAOK for a chance to face either Frankfurt or Lyon in the next round.
In other matches, Galatasaray will take on AZ Alkmaar, and the victor will find themselves playing against either Manchester United or Tottenham from England. Real Sociedad will similarly host Midtjylland, with the winner of that fixture also qualifying to face either Manchester United or Tottenham. Finally, Viktoria Plzen will challenge Ferencvaros, and the winner will move on to meet either Lazio from Italy or Spanish club Athletic Bilbao. Meanwhile, Roma is set to face Porto, with the winner of this match also advancing to meet either Lazio or Athletic Bilbao.
The knockout stage promises to deliver thrilling football as clubs from diverse leagues vie for progression in this prestigious tournament.
