Last Thursday, January 29, 2026, the final round of the UEFA Europa League group stage concluded, determining the 24 teams that will continue to compete in the tournament.
Round Results and Highlights
The most striking events of the round were unexpected victories and dramatic moments. "Ludogorets" broke through to the play-offs for the first time in six seasons, defeating "Nice" with a score of 1:0. Meanwhile, "Nottingham Forest" crushed "Ferencvaros" with a devastating score of 4:0.
Group Stage Leaders
The top three positions were occupied by: "Lyon" (1st place), "Aston Villa" (2nd place), and "Midtjylland" (3rd place). These teams, along with "Betis", "Porto", "Braga", "Freiburg", and "Roma", automatically skip the first round of play-offs.
Interesting Facts
The only team with Ukrainian footballers in the tournament is "Roma", where Artem Dovbyk was supposed to play, but due to injury, he is currently not participating in matches. In the game against "Panathinaikos", the team saved a draw thanks to a goal by Jan Ziolkowski.
The draw for the Europa League play-off matches will take place on January 30 at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The tournament final is scheduled for May 20 in Istanbul at the "Vodafone Park" stadium.
