Aston Villa Set to Face Lille Again, Nottingham Forest Draw Midtjylland in Europa League Last 16
Aston Villa will meet Lille for the second time in three seasons after the Europa League last-16 draw on Friday, while Nottingham Forest face a rematch against Denmark’s Midtjylland.
Villa, coached by Unai Emery, finished second in this season’s league phase behind Lyon. The first leg against Lille will be in northern France on March 12, with the return in Birmingham scheduled for March 19. Last season, Villa were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, but in 2024, they overcame Lille on penalties in the Conference League quarter-finals. If Villa advance, they would face the winner of the all-Italian tie between Bologna and Roma in the quarter-finals.
Forest reached the last 16 after defeating Fenerbahce in the knockout play-off round. They previously lost 3-2 at home to Midtjylland in the league phase. Midtjylland, currently second in the Danish top tier, finished third in the 36-team league phase. Should Forest progress, they would meet either German Cup holders VfB Stuttgart or two-time Europa League winners FC Porto in the quarter-finals. An all-English semi-final could also occur if both Forest and Villa advance.
Other intriguing ties include Lyon against Celta Vigo, Panathinaikos facing Real Betis, Ferencvaros versus Braga, and Freiburg taking on Genk. The Europa League final is set for May 20 at Besiktas’ stadium in Istanbul.
Europa League Last-16 Draw:
- Genk (BEL) vs Freiburg (GER)
- Bologna (ITA) vs Roma (ITA)
- Ferencvaros (HUN) vs Braga (POR)
- Stuttgart (GER) vs Porto (POR)
- Panathinaikos (GRE) vs Real Betis (ESP)
- Nottingham Forest (ENG) vs Midtjylland (DEN)
- Celta Vigo (ESP) vs Lyon (FRA)
- Lille (FRA) vs Aston Villa (ENG)
