Avfc: Europa League last-16 draw sets Aston Villa against Lille as ties take shape

avfc will face Lille in the last 16 of the Europa League after the recent draw, with Nottingham Forest drawn against Midtjylland and seeded teams meeting play-off winners across the round. The draw, conducted at UEFA’s Nyon headquarters, mapped the remaining knockout ties and confirmed key dates and pathways for progression.

What Happens When Avfc Meet Lille?

Aston Villa, the side that finished second behind Lyon in the competition’s league phase, were drawn against Lille in the last 16. The tie will see avfc play the first leg in France, with the seeded-play-off structure meaning seeded teams — those who finished in the top eight of the league phase — were paired with one of the eight play-off winners and retain the advantage of hosting the second leg.

Unai Emery’s side entered the knockout stages after a league-phase record that included seven wins and one defeat from eight group matches. A separate domestic result noted concerns over squad depth after a 1-0 defeat to Brentford.

What Happens When Nottingham Forest Travel to Denmark?

Nottingham Forest were drawn against Midtjylland. Forest, who finished 13th in the league phase, sealed their last-16 place by beating Fenerbahce 4-2 on aggregate in the knockout play-off. The tie will see Forest travel to Denmark for the second leg; the two sides previously met in the league phase when Midtjylland won 3-2 at the City Ground while Forest were managed by Ange Postecoglou.

• Confirmed last-16 ties (seeded teams vs play-off winners): Aston Villa v Lille; Nottingham Forest v Midtjylland; Bologna v Roma; Lyon v Celta Vigo; Panathinaikos v Real Betis; Stuttgart v Porto; Ferencvaros v Braga; Genk v Freiburg.
• First legs scheduled for March 12 (ET); second legs scheduled for March 19 (ET).
• Seeded teams retain the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
• Potential quarter-final pathways: the Villa–Lille winner would meet the winner of Roma–Bologna; the Forest–Midtjylland winner would meet the winner of Stuttgart–Porto.
• The final will be hosted at Besiktas Park in Istanbul on May 20 (ET).

The draw confirmed several notable pairings beyond the English teams. League-phase winners Lyon were drawn against Celta Vigo, while Bologna and Roma will contest an all-Italian tie. There will also be a first-ever clash between Panathinaikos and Real Betis, alongside ties pairing Stuttgart with Porto, Ferencvaros with Braga, and Genk with Freiburg.

Seeded teams — those that finished in the top eight of the league phase — were all matched against one of the play-off winners and thus hold the scheduling advantage of the second leg at home. Should Villa progress past Lille, their next opponent would be the winner of Roma and Bologna; if Forest advance, their likely quarter-final opponent would be the winner of Stuttgart and Porto.

What Does This Mean for the Knockout Calendar?

The last-16 schedule is now set with first and second legs fixed for the two matchweeks in March. The bracketed paths established by the draw create defined quarter-final matchups and a clear route to the Istanbul final venue. With seeded teams hosting second legs, the structure rewards strong performance in the league phase and shapes home advantage through the knockout rounds.

Fans and clubs will now prepare for the March fixtures and the potential quarter-final scenarios mapped by the draw. The pairings put several high-stakes matchups on the calendar and set the stage for the rest of the competition, with avfc at the centre of one of the headline last-16 ties.