Feyenoord, Go Ahead Eagles’ Path to UEFA Europa League Knockouts

Casey Halston

Published: January 29, 2026 3:07 PM ET

Feyenoord, Go Ahead Eagles’ Path to UEFA Europa League Knockouts

As the UEFA Champions League chaos subsides, focus now shifts to the UEFA Europa League. This Thursday, attention is on Feyenoord and Go Ahead Eagles, the last Dutch teams vying for knockout stage progression. FC Utrecht has been eliminated, leaving these two clubs as the sole representatives from the Netherlands.

Key Match Information

All 18 UEFA Europa League matches are scheduled to commence at 21:00 CET on January 29th. The stakes are high for both Feyenoord and Go Ahead Eagles as they seek advancement.

Feyenoord’s Challenge

Feyenoord, managed by Robin van Persie, is currently facing significant pressure. The team has shown signs of improvement with recent victories against Sturm Graz and Heracles Almelo. However, their UEFA Europa League campaign has been rocky, leaving them in 26th place with six points and a goal difference of -3.

Prior to their win against Sturm Graz, Feyenoord endured a frustrating stretch of three consecutive losses in the competition. Before their away match against Real Betis, they had just a 11.24% chance of securing a spot in the knockout stages. To advance, Feyenoord must defeat Real Betis and better their standings, requiring at least six specific outcomes to unfold.

Essential Outcomes for Feyenoord

Young Boys must lose to Stuttgart.
Celtic cannot beat FC Utrecht.
Ludogorets must not defeat OGC Nice.
FC Basel needs to fail to comfortably beat Viktoria Plzen or score more goals than Feyenoord.
Red Bull Salzburg must not win against Aston Villa by a large margin.
FCSB needs to lose to Fenerbahce by a significant margin.
Go Ahead Eagles must not win against Sporting Braga by a large score.

With a win in Sevilla and favorable results elsewhere, Feyenoord could potentially overtake both Lille and Brann, further increasing their chances.

Go Ahead Eagles’ Situation

The Go Ahead Eagles, last season’s KNVB Beker champions, sit at 28th place with six points, featuring a goal difference of -8. Their last triumph in the UEFA Europa League came in late October against Aston Villa, marking a brief period of success.

Since that match, the Eagles have faced a tough stretch, losing to teams including Red Bull Salzburg and OGC Nice. Current projections from Opta suggest they have just a 4.32% chance of making the knockout rounds. To advance, they need to defeat Sporting Braga and rely on several specific conditions.

Required Outcomes for Go Ahead Eagles

Celtic must lose against FC Utrecht.
Ludogorets cannot defeat OGC Nice.
Feyenoord must fail to win against Real Betis.
FC Basel should not win comfortably against Viktoria Plzen.
Red Bull Salzburg needs to lose against Aston Villa.

If the Eagles manage to beat Braga by two goals, they can also potentially overtake Young Boys, reducing the number of required scenarios.

Conclusion

As the UEFA Europa League approaches a critical juncture, Feyenoord and Go Ahead Eagles find themselves in challenging predicaments. Their ability to progress will depend on their performances and outcomes in concurrent matches. Fans can follow these crucial games live via Filmogaz.com.