Alex MacQuoid
Lyon to Face Celta Vigo while Aston Villa Draw Lille
The UEFA Europa League round of 16 matchups are set following the draw ceremony in Nyon, Switzerland. Top seeds Lyon will contend with Celta Vigo for a place in the next phase. Second seeds Aston Villa have been paired with Lille in one of the round’s standout technical fixtures.
Lille secured their progression after a grueling encounter against Red Star Belgrade, where a Nathan Ngoy goal in extra time proved decisive. Genk also required additional periods to overcome Dinamo Zagreb in a high-scoring six-goal thriller. The Belgian outfit now prepares for a tactical battle against Freiburg.
All-Italian Clash and Premier League Interests
The draw delivered a domestic rivalry as Bologna and Roma prepare for an all-Italian knockout tie. Nottingham Forest enter the round after Callum Hudson-Odoi salvaged their campaign against Fenerbahce at the City Ground. They now face third-seeded FC Midtjylland. Real Betis will play Panathinaikos, who advanced via a penalty shootout victory over Viktoria Plzen despite playing with ten men during the latter stages of extra time.
Europa League Round of 16 Ties:
- Ferencvaros vs Braga
- Panathinaikos vs Betis
- Genk vs Freiburg
- Celta Vigo vs Lyon
- Stuttgart vs Porto
- Nottingham Forest vs FC Midtjylland
- Bologna vs Roma
- Lille vs Aston Villa
UEFA Europa League Draw. Source: www.uefa.com. Edited photo
Ferencvaros vs Braga
Panathinaikos vs Betis
Genk vs Freiburg
Celta Vigo vs Lyon
Stuttgart vs Porto
Nottingham Forest vs FC Midtjylland
Bologna vs Roma
Lille vs Aston Villa
Ferencvaros will travel to face Braga in Portugal. Due to a scheduling conflict with Porto, Braga will host their home leg on Wednesday, March 18th.
Schedule and Final Destination
First-leg fixtures are scheduled for March 12th, with return legs following one week later on March 19th. The side listed first in each pairing will host the opening match. This season’s tournament concludes at the final in Istanbul on May 20th. UEFA will confirm specific kickoff times and television schedules later this week. Follow the latest tournament updates and analysis on TipsGG.