Thursday sees the UEFA Europa League knockout round playoffs get underway, where 16 teams battle it out for eight spots in the next round. Several rematches from the league phase will occur this stage, but the pressure is already much higher this time around.
Here is The Deck’s preview of what is to come for the UEL knockout playoffs, as well as a prediction for each tie as to who will be moving on.
UEFA Europa League: Knockout Round Playoffs
Forest In It Tough
One of several rematches from the league phase sees Brann come up against Bologna in what is a great opportunity for both sides.
The Norwegians will be involved in their second-ever knockout round tie in Europe. They will quickly want to forget their previous one – an 8-1 thumping by Everton in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup round of 32. They have still never won an away match in the main rounds in Europe across seven attempts (0-3-4). After Bodø/Glimt’s stunning semifinal run last term, the side from Bergen has something to aspire to.
Bologna has proven hard to beat in this season’s Europa League. Even in the league phase, when they were down to 10 men versus their knockout playoff opponents, they were able to hold out for a point. Excluding qualifiers, Rossoblù’s last two-legged knockout tie came in 1999/2000 UEFA Cup, losing to eventual winners Galatasaray. They are on a three-game winning streak on the road, something that has never happened before
Prediction: Bologna
Dinamo Zagreb will be aiming to repeat what they did in 2021/22 and knock Genk out from Europe.
That same season coincides with the Croatian regular’s last knockout round showing in the UEL. They were beaten by eventual winners Sevilla, year after making the quarterfinals. They will want to improve their form though, as Dinamo ended up losing four of their last five league phase matches after starting off with three wins.
Genk has had to wait for seven years before making it to the knockout stages in Europe once again. The Belgians’ last success in a knockout round tie was two years before that, when they reached the quarterfinals. They have enjoyed more success in the UEL than any other European competition, with 34 of their 47 wins coming in this tournament.
Prediction: Genk
For the second time this term, Fenerbahçe will be up against English opposition, as they take on Nottingham Forest.
Fener will be facing their seventh different English opponent, with their last win coming against Manchester United back in the 2016/17 group phase. Interestingly, the last two times Fener has managed to beat a Premier League club, that side ended up reaching that competition’s final. That could serve as a good omen for their opponent in this case.
Keeping the opponent out has proven to be quite crucial for Forest, as only one of their last nine victories in Europe have seen the opposition score. All three of their home wins during the league phase saw them pick up a clean sheet. The away trip could prove to be challenging, considering The Tricky Trees have only one win in their last six such matches (1-3-2).
Prediction: Nottingham Forest
Several months on from their league phase battle, PAOK Thessaloniki and Celta Vigo will face off once more.
It is the second year in a row PAOK is involved in the UEL knockout round playoffs, losing to FCSB last term. The Greek side was defeated in the league phase contest, but did get the better of the other Spanish side Real Betis later on. With that said, two-legged ties against Spanish teams have never gone well for Dikefalos, who has never progressed from the previous four attempts.
All three previous European runs this century have seen Celta make at least round of 16. Their best performance came nine years ago, when they reached the semifinals before bowing out. Os Celestes will be looking to maintain their unbeaten record against sides from Greece, having won four out of five meetings. They are 2-2-0 in their last four away games in knockout round situations.
Prediction: Celta Vigo
Panathinaikos and Plzeň in for Huge Tie
The last of the matches not to have taken place during the league phase pits together Celtic and Stuttgart in a rematch from the UEFA Cup days.
It was the Hoops who came out on top in that tie, edging their Bundesliga counterparts 5-4 on aggregate en route to making the 2002/03 final. That home victory was one of just five against German sides all-time (5-6-21). They have never come out on top on German soil, something that could go a long way if they could change that this time around.
Stuttgart has had to wait for 13 years before they could return to knockout football in a UEFA club competition. They could not get over the line in the Champions League last campaign, but managed to do so on this occasion. They did progress from the round of 32 – the present-day knockout playoffs – the last time they were involved, before losing the Lazio in the round of 16.
Prediction: Stuttgart
LOSC Lille will be out for revenge in a tie that sees them face Crvena zvezda three months on from their defeat.
Like Forest, clean sheets have proven key to Lille’s success this campaign. Their last three victories have seen them keep out the opposing team, They have successfully negotiated just one knockout round tie in the Europa League era, knocking off Fenerbahçe back in 2009/10. This is the second time they will meet a Serbian team over two legs, having beaten Sevojno 2-0 home and away in that 2009/10 run.
Crvena zvezda won all four of their league phase games by a 1-0 score, including their match against Lille. Their best in the UEL era saw them make the round of 16 four years ago before being ousted by Rangers. The league phase win was just their second over a French side, with 12 of the other 16 games ending in defeat.
Prediction: Lille
For the third time this term, Ludogorets and Ferencváros will face off, after their Champions League third qualifying round tie, and their league phase meeting.
Ludogorets scored just once in three games versus Fradi this term, losing both away games. The only time they came out on top against their Hungarian rivals was in 2019/20. They have won two of their last three at home, which could give them hope to advance to the last 16, something they have not done in the UEL since 2013/14.
Ferencváros is eight without defeat at home in the UEL (6-2-0) since Tottenham beat them to start the league phase last season. In their last four losses in the Europa League, including the defeat to Nottingham Forest three weeks ago, Fradi failed to find the back of the net. This is the third time in a row they have managed to get past the group phase in this tournament.
Prediction: Ferencváros
Our tie of the round concludes this preview, as Panathinaikos faces Viktoria Plzeň in a massive matchup with UEFA coefficient points on the line.
It has been quite sometime since Panathinaikos last graced the knockout rounds of the UEL. Their only previous foray under the competition’s current guise came in 2009/10, the first under the Europa League banner. In the UEFA Cup era, they made the quarterfinals twice. Their matchday 6 draw against Plzeň started a streak of three games in which the result ended level.
Plzeň has made the KOs of a UEFA club competition for the third year running. They have successfully negotiated the knockout round playoffs in each of their last two attempts, topping Ferencváros last February. Funny enough, their last two campaigns have been ended by Italian opposition – Fiorentina in the 2023/24 Conference League, and Lazio last season.
Prediction: Panathinaikos
