By Francis Onyach - Reporter
Kenya, January 30 2026 - Aston Villa sealed an impressive campaign in the Europa League league phase by finishing among the top positions that guarantee direct qualification to the Round of 16. Villa’s strong form, including a comeback win over Salzburg to complete the final round of fixtures, helped them lock down a place in the top eight of the expanded Europa League table. That achievement means they now bypass the February playoff round and go straight into the last 16 as one of the competition’s better-performing sides.
Under Unai Emery, Villa showed resilience and attacking threat throughout the group phase, bouncing back from a slow start to win key fixtures, including a tight 1-0 victory away at Fenerbahçe, which put them firmly on track. Their final matchday victory at Villa Park, where they recovered from two goals down to beat Salzburg 3-2, confirmed their strong standing and ensured they finished safely within the top eight teams in Europe’s second-tier club competition.
The Europa League’s new format places the top eight-ranked clubs directly into the round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th participate in a two-legged knockout playoff in February for the chance to reach the last 16. By finishing among the top positions, Villa now avoids that extra round of fixtures and can focus on preparing for the knockout ties beginning in March.
In contrast, Nottingham Forest will enter the Europa League playoff round after finishing outside the top eight places. Forest ended the league phase with a convincing 4-0 win over Ferencváros, a result that confirmed they will face knockout playoff ties next month. Despite a strong performance and a notable victory, their overall points total was not enough to secure a direct path to the round of 16.
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The playoffs, scheduled for February, will see Forest matched against one of several clubs from around Europe finishing between ninth and 24th in the standings, giving them another opportunity to reach the last 16. For now, though, Villa’s higher finish allows Unai Emery’s side to skip the extra round and maintain momentum into the later stages of the Europa League.
Both English clubs end this phase with European football still very much alive, but Villa’s direct qualification reflects consistency and big-moment performances in the league phase. Forest will now aim to make the most of their playoff slot and try to secure a place in the knockout rounds against tough continental opposition.
