All you need to know about the Europa League Round of 16 draw

Aston Villa are set to discover their opponents for the next stage of the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League this week, when the Round of 16 draw takes place.

Unai Emery’s men will be pitted against their last 16 opposition on Friday afternoon, when the knockout phase draw is conducted.

The Villans finished second in the league phase table behind only French side Lyon, with seven wins from their eight outings.

They now face the first knockout round against one of two potential opponents, where they will be hoping to book a spot in the quarter-finals.

Here are all the details you need on the draw…

When is the draw?

The Europa League Round of 16 draw will take place on Friday, February 27, and get underway from 12pm GMT.

It will be held at the UEFA House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

Can I watch the draw?

Yes, the draw will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

You will also be able to stream live from the UEFA.com website, and both TNT Sports and UEFA’s respective YouTube channels.

Who could Villa face?

Following the conclusion of Thursday night’s Round of 32 play-off second-leg fixtures, Villa now know they will face either LOSC Lille or Celta de Vigo. 

French outfit Lille overcame Serbian side Crvena Zvezda 2-1 over two legs in the last 32, while Spanish team Celta beat Thessaloniki-based PAOK 3-1 on aggregate to advance.

Villa will draw one of the two aforementioned sides, with Lyon as league phase winners facing the other of the two which Villa do not draw.

How will the draw operate?

Each side will be drawn onto a respective side of the tournament bracket, and handed a Round of 16 opponent.

The eight play-off winners face the sides who finished in the top eight in the league phase, with seeding meaning that Villa and Lyon – as the top two in the league phase – cannot possibly mean until the final.

The Villans’ second-place finish means they will play the second leg of their last 16 tie as well as any subsequent quarter-final and semi-final clashes on home soil, at Villa Park.

Once the Round of 16 draw is complete, each team, having been allocated a side of the bracket, will have their potential path to the final mapped out.

When will last 16 ties take place?

Villa will contest the first leg of their Round of 16 clash away from home on Thursday, March 12, with the second leg at Villa Park to take place a week later, on Thursday, March 19.

The remainder of the tournament dates are as follows…

Quarter-finals: Thursday, April 9 and Thursday, April 16
Semi-finals: Thursday, April 30 and Thursday, May 7
Final: Wednesday, May 20 – Tüpraş Stadyumu, Istanbul