UEL last 16 draw: Italian derby, Forest face Danes, Villa vs Lille
Reading Time: 1min | Fri. 27.02.26. | 15:54
Although not as attractive as the Champions League, the Europa League Round of 16 still offers some promising duels
While the Champions League provided football fans with a couple of blockbuster clashes, the Europa League last-16 draw brought few derbies.
The biggest one may be the Italian showdown between Bologna and Roma, who'll meet for the first time on the international stage. The Giallorossi won only one of the two sides' previous six matches, so the Coppa Italia winners definitely stand a chance.
Europa League Draw: pic.twitter.com/dGSvESGYc0
— Fantasy Soccer Data (Adam) (@FantasySocData) February 27, 2026
When it comes to the Premier League representatives in the UEL, Nottingham Forest will face the third-placed team from the league phase, Danish Midtjylland, while Aston Villa will lock horns with French Lille in a minor derby.
The clashes between Celta Vigo and Olympique Lyon, and Stuttgart and Porto, also promise some exciting football, whereas the other Portuguese side, Braga, will meet the Hungarian Ferencvaros.
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In the end, Belgian Genk has been paired with German Freiburg, as Panathinaikos and Real Betis face off in a duel between two teams known for their green colours.
Interestingly, out of the 16 remaining clubs, only Porto has won the UEFA Cup/Europa League trophy (in 2003 and 2011), while Stuttgart, Roma (twice), and Braga were runners-up.
Round-of-16 matches will be played on 12th and 19th March.