The UEFA Europa League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draw took place on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland, mapping out the complete road to the final in Istanbul on May 20. The standout tie sees Bologna face Roma in an all-Italian derby, while Lille will take on Aston Villa and Stuttgart meet Porto in two of the most eye-catching matchups. Nottingham Forest, fresh from their playoff victory over Fenerbahce, face Danish side Midtjylland, while Celta Vigo take on Lyon in a clash between two of the most attack-minded teams left in the competition.
The eight seeded teams, who qualified directly through the league phase top eight, are Lyon, Aston Villa, Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg and Roma. They will host the second leg of their respective ties. The eight unseeded teams, who advanced through the knockout playoffs, are Genk, Bologna, Stuttgart, Ferencvaros, Nottingham Forest, Celta Vigo, Lille and Panathinaikos. The full round of 16 lineup sees Genk face Freiburg, Bologna meet Roma, Stuttgart take on Porto, Ferencvaros play Braga, Panathinaikos challenge Real Betis, Nottingham Forest face Midtjylland, Lille play Aston Villa and Celta Vigo meet Lyon.
The draw also revealed the complete bracket pathway through to the semi-finals. In the quarter-finals, the winners of Genk versus Freiburg will face the winners of Celta Vigo versus Lyon, while the winners of Bologna versus Roma will meet the winners of Lille versus Aston Villa. On the other side, the winners of Stuttgart versus Porto will take on the winners of Nottingham Forest versus Midtjylland, and the winners of Ferencvaros versus Braga will play the winners of Panathinaikos versus Real Betis.
The semi-final pairings bring the two sides of the bracket together. The first semi-final will see the winners of the Ferencvaros-Braga/Panathinaikos-Real Betis quarter-final face the winners of the Genk-Freiburg/Celta-Lyon quarter-final. The second semi-final pairs the winners of Stuttgart-Porto/Forest-Midtjylland against the winners of Bologna-Roma/Lille-Aston Villa. The two semi-final winners will then meet in the final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
The Bologna versus Roma derby promises to be the most emotionally charged tie of the round. The two Italian clubs rarely meet in European competition, and this encounter adds a new chapter to their Serie A rivalry on the continental stage. Lille versus Aston Villa pits two clubs with strong European pedigree against each other, with Villa having reached the Conference League semi-finals last season. Stuttgart against Porto brings together two clubs with rich histories in European football, while Forest will be hopeful of continuing their remarkable run against Midtjylland.
The draw presents a relatively open bracket on the right side, where Ferencvaros, Braga, Panathinaikos and Real Betis could produce surprise semi-finalists. On the left side, heavyweights like Lyon, Aston Villa, Roma, Porto and Stuttgart face a tougher path. Celta Vigo versus Lyon stands out as an intriguing battle between two sides known for their attacking football. The round of 16 first legs take place on March 12, with the return fixtures on March 19. The quarter-finals are scheduled for April 9 and 16, the semi-finals for April 30 and May 7, and the final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on May 20.
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