Europa League: Six teams secure knockout stage spots after thrilling sixth round
As per the competition rules, the top eight teams in each group advance directly to the Round of 16, with six teams already securing their spots.
KATHMANDU: Aston Villa, Ferencváros, Freiburg, Lyon, Midtjylland, and Real Betis have confirmed their places in the UEFA Europa League knockout stage following the sixth round of group matches.
As per the competition rules, the top eight teams in each group advance directly to the Round of 16, with six teams already securing their spots.
In Turkey, Fenerbahçe produced a dominant 4-0 away win over Brann. Kerim Aktürkoğlu opened the scoring, and Brann’s Evind Helland received a red card for a foul on Yusuf Eneseri, leaving the visitors one man down.
Talisca then completed a hat-trick with two goals and a header, sealing a comprehensive victory.
Ferencváros continued their unbeaten run with a 2-1 home win over Rangers in front of a lively crowd. Bojan Miovski had given Rangers an early lead in the 30th minute, but Bence Ótvos equalized before halftime.
In the 73rd minute, Barnabas Varga headed in a Calum O’Dowda cross to secure the win and knockout stage qualification.
In the Netherlands, Nottingham Forest edged past Utrecht 2-1 in a thrilling encounter. Kalimuendo had given Forest the lead, Van der Horn equalized with a header, and in the dying minutes, Igor Jesus scored on the rebound to clinch victory.
In Scotland, Celtic failed to contain Roma at home, losing 3-0, while Midtjylland secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Genk to register their fifth win of the campaign. Aston Villa, Lyon, and Midtjylland now top their groups with 15 points each, with Villa beating Basel 2-1.
The most dramatic clash came in Romania, where FCSB overturned a 1-3 deficit against Feyenoord to win 4-3, thanks to Florin Tănase’s injury-time goal that thrilled the home fans.
Elsewhere, Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzeň played out a goalless draw, while PAOK and Ludogorets shared six goals in a 3-3 thriller.
With the group stage nearing its conclusion, the knockout phase is set to feature high-octane clashes as these teams prepare for the next step in Europe’s secondary club competition.
