Conference League and Europa League draws set for Friday as three Premier League clubs await last-16 opponents
The Europa League and conference league both reach a decisive stage on Friday, with 16 teams remaining in each competition and three Premier League clubs — Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace — still in contention. The draws will determine exact last-16 matchups after midweek play-offs narrowed every club’s potential opponent to two possibilities.
Europa League draw at 12pm
The Europa League draw is scheduled to begin at 12pm on Friday. With 16 teams left in the competition, each club now knows it will face one of two opponents but will not learn its precise pathway until the draw is made. Because sides that did not require a play-off are seeded — defined as those that finished in the top eight in the league phase — those seeded teams will play the second leg of their last-16 ties at home.
Conference League draw at 1pm
The Conference League draw follows at 1pm. Every team's possible opponent for the next round has already been narrowed to two options. Teams are permitted to be drawn against clubs from the same country and even opponents they have already met earlier in the competition. Live coverage of the draws will be available on the Sky Sports website and app, and supporters can follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for related news and analysis.
Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace potential opponents
Aston Villa will learn whether they face Celta Vigo or PAOK in the Europa League last 16. Nottingham Forest will be drawn against either Real Betis or Midtjylland. Crystal Palace’s Conference League last-16 opponent will be Mainz or AEK Larnaca. The three English clubs are the only Premier League sides remaining across the two competitions, and with the draw structure the earliest two English teams could meet would be the quarter-finals of the Europa League between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. Crystal Palace do not have any potential English opponents in the Conference League.
Play-off results: Celta Vigo, Lille, Ferencvaros and Stuttgart
Midweek play-offs produced a string of decisive outcomes that set up the last 16. Celta Vigo beat PAOK 3-1 on aggregate, winning 1-0 in their Europa League play-off second leg. Lille recovered from a first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade. Robbie Keane's Ferencvaros overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at home and eliminate Ludogorets Razgrad. Stuttgart progressed despite a 1-0 home defeat to Celtic, going through 4-2 on aggregate. Additional highlighted matches from recent rounds include Nottingham Forest surviving a scare against Fenerbahce to continue their European run, and Bodo/Glimt making history with a stunning victory over Inter.
Schedules: round-of-16, March 19 and April 16 confirmations
The round-of-16 match schedule will be published on Friday evening after the draws. Subsequent dates have been set for later rounds: the quarter-final match schedule will be confirmed on March 19, and the semi-final schedule will be communicated on April 16. Because seedings and play-off outcomes determine which clubs play the second leg at home, the timing of the draws directly affects where key ties will finish and how clubs plan travel and preparation.
Fans of Aston Villa are also being encouraged to join membership offers now to receive the latest news, purchase tickets and gain exclusive access to club content and other benefits. With the play-offs now complete, the immediate effect is clarity on opponent lists; the remaining uncertainty about the draw itself will be resolved when the two draws are conducted on Friday.
