The 8th and final matchday of the Europa League League Phase saw Rangers emerge as the big winners. Their 2-1 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise, combined with other results, secured them a top-eight finish and direct qualification to the Round of 16.

Lazio and Athletic Bilbao topped the standings, both finishing with 19 points, with Lazio claiming first place on tiebreakers. Meanwhile, Manchester United, following their 2-0 win over Steaua in Romania, finished third, maintaining their undefeated record in the League Phase.

Olympiacos Advances to Knockout Stage – PAOK in Playoffs

It was also a great success for Olympiacos, who secured 7th place with a 3-0 victory over Qarabag, earning direct passage to the knockout rounds. Meanwhile, Tottenham, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Lyon also advanced without needing to go through the playoffs. PAOK, on the other hand, will compete in the playoffs for a chance to join them in the Round of 16.

The final matchday of the League Phase featured 51 goals in total.

Results and Scorers from Matchday 8 of the Europa League League Phase

• Roma (Italy) – Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) 2-0 (44′ Angeliño, 69′ Shomurodov)
• Ajax (Netherlands) – Galatasaray (Turkey) 2-1 (23′ Traoré, 58′ Fitz-Jim – 90’+4 Osimhen)
• Rangers (Scotland) – Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium) 2-1 (21′ Raskin, 54′ Černý – 83′ MacAllister)
• Tottenham (England) – Elfsborg (Sweden) 3-0 (70′ Scarlett, 84′ Azaghi, 90’+4 Moore)
• Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) – Malmö (Sweden) 2-2 (46′ Chory, 77′ Sranc – 70′ Ali, 71′ Bolin)
• Real Sociedad (Spain) – PAOK (Greece) 2-0 (43′, 48′ Óskarsson)
• Braga (Portugal) – Lazio (Italy) 1-0 (6′ Horta)
• Olympiacos (Greece) – Qarabag (Azerbaijan) 3-0 (56′, 60′ El Kaabi, 89′ Biancon)

League Phase Standings & Knockout Stage Qualification

Teams Advancing Directly to the Round of 16

The top eight teams earned a direct spot in the Round of 16, skipping the playoff round:
✅ Lazio (19 points)
✅ Athletic Bilbao (19 points)
✅ Manchester United (18 points)
✅ Tottenham (17 points)
✅ Eintracht Frankfurt (16 points)
✅ Lyon (15 points)
✅ Olympiacos (15 points)
✅ Rangers (14 points)

Teams Qualifying for Playoffs

Teams finishing 9th to 24th will compete in the playoffs for a place in the Round of 16:
? Bodø/Glimt
? Anderlecht
? Steaua Bucharest
? Ajax
? Real Sociedad
? Galatasaray
? Roma
? Viktoria Plzeň
? Ferencváros
? Porto
? Midtjylland
? Union Saint-Gilloise
? AZ Alkmaar
? PAOK
? Twente
? Fenerbahçe

Teams Eliminated

❌ Maccabi Tel Aviv
❌ Slavia Prague
❌ Malmö
❌ RFS
❌ Ludogorets
❌ Dynamo Kyiv
❌ Nice
❌ Qarabag

Europa League Playoff Draw & Road to the Final

The playoff draw will take place on Friday, January 31 (14:00 CET). The playoff pairings will be determined as follows:
? Teams ranked 9/10 vs. Teams ranked 23/24
? Teams ranked 11/12 vs. Teams ranked 21/22
? Teams ranked 13/14 vs. Teams ranked 19/20
? Teams ranked 15/16 vs. Teams ranked 17/18

Potential Playoff Matchups

• Bodø/Glimt or Anderlecht vs. Twente or Fenerbahçe
• Steaua or Ajax vs. AZ Alkmaar or PAOK
• Real Sociedad or Galatasaray vs. Midtjylland or Union Saint-Gilloise
• Roma or Viktoria Plzeň vs. Ferencváros or Porto

The Round of 16 draw will take place on February 21, following the completion of the playoffs.

Potential Round of 16 Matchups

• Lazio or Athletic Bilbao vs. Winner of Roma/Viktoria Plzeň – Ferencváros/Porto
• Manchester United or Tottenham vs. Winner of Real Sociedad/Galatasaray – Midtjylland/Union Saint-Gilloise
• Eintracht Frankfurt or Lyon vs. Winner of Steaua/Ajax – AZ Alkmaar/PAOK
• Olympiacos or Rangers vs. Winner of Bodø/Glimt/Anderlecht – Twente/Fenerbahçe

The quarterfinals and semifinals will follow a predetermined bracket rather than a new draw.

Europa League Calendar

? Playoff Draw: January 31
⚽ Playoff Matches: February 13 & 20
? Round of 16 Draw: February 21
⚽ Round of 16 Matches: March 6 & 13
⚽ Quarterfinals: April 10 & 17
⚽ Semifinals: May 1 & 8
? Final: May 21