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Villa & Celtic Advance, Forest Faces Play-Offs
30 Jan
Summary
- Aston Villa secured direct passage to the Europa League last-16.
- Nottingham Forest will compete in the play-offs after missing top spots.
- Celtic also enters the play-offs as an unseeded team.
Aston Villa has directly secured their place in the Europa League last-16. The English club achieved this by finishing second in their group, despite a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against Salzburg on the final matchday. Unai Emery's side will now await the winners of specific play-off ties.
Nottingham Forest, though they secured a 4-0 win against Ferencvaros, ultimately missed out on direct progression. Their 13th-place finish means they will enter the play-offs as a seeded team, ensuring home advantage in the second leg of their tie.
Scottish club Celtic will also feature in the play-offs. They qualified as an unseeded team, finishing 21st in the standings. Rangers have already been eliminated from the competition.
Both Aston Villa and Lyon, as top seeds, will benefit from playing the second leg of their knockout ties at home throughout the remainder of the competition. Villa's potential last-16 opponents include Red Star Belgrade, Celta Vigo, PAOK, or Lille.
Nottingham Forest is set to face either Fenerbahce or Panathinaikos in their play-off match. Should they advance, they could meet FC Midtjylland or Real Betis in the last-16. Celtic's play-off opponent will be either Ferencvaros or Stuttgart, with a potential last-16 tie against Braga or Porto if they progress.
