Plzen eliminated despite remaining undefeated

15 - Ferencvaros needed to overcome a first-leg deficit against Ludogorets in their matchup. They took thirty minutes to take the aggregate lead thanks to goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen. From that point, they held on to defeat the Bulgarian side 2-0 at home and progress 2-1 over the two ties. This marked their third victory over Ludo in what was a record fifth meeting between the clubs this season. Fradi have a strong habit of scoring at home, having done so in their last 15 European matches, including qualifiers.

5 - Ludogorets will undoubtedly view this as a missed opportunity, particularly given their first-leg advantage. However, they exit European competition one round later than last season. Their attention now turns to securing a 15th consecutive Bulgarian league title, a task proving increasingly difficult. Across nine encounters with Ferencvaros, Ludo have now suffered five defeats, three of which came this campaign.

1 - Stuttgart also advances to the next round despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Celtic in front of their home supporters on Thursday. Their first-leg performance was sufficient to see them through 4-2 on aggregate. Die Roten have now equaled their last appearance in the UEL proper in 2012/13, where they also reached the last 16. Their journey ended there then, something they will aim to avoid this time. Thursday's loss was Stuttgart's first at home against Scottish opposition.

7 - Celtic's wait to progress beyond the knockout playoffs in a UEFA club competition continues after again failing to reach the round of 16. They have not achieved this in any European tournament since the 2012/13 Champions League. The Hoops have navigated the group stage six times since, but the round of 32/knockout playoffs again proved an insurmountable hurdle. They can find some comfort in Thursday's win, having scored their seventh all-time goal against Stuttgart.

17- Crvena zvezda failed to keep Lille at bay at home, relinquishing their first-leg lead and ultimately the tie. The French side required two hours, but secured a 2-0 victory in Belgrade, advancing 2-1 overall. Despite defeating their opponents twice in the UEL this term, Red Star could not manage a third consecutive win. Consequently, they will watch Friday's draw from home, pondering what might have been. This ended a streak of 17 consecutive home games in which they had scored.

4 - Olivier Giroud's goal within four minutes set an early tempo for Lille, who swiftly leveled the aggregate score. A winner from center-back Nathan Ngoy nine minutes into extra time secured their passage, reaching this UEL stage for the first time since 2009/10. Having lost their last three away matches, Les Doguesdelivered under maximum pressure. The number four holds dual significance here: it was their fourth clean sheet this term, and marks the fourth consecutive time they have reached the last 16 in a European competition.

10 - Viktoria Plzen and Panathinaikos delivered a captivating two-legged affair. After the match in the Czech Republic finished 1-1 after 120 minutes - with the aggregate score tied 3-3, penalties were needed to decide the winner. The Greek side held their nerve to triumph 4-3 in the shootout. Plzen will be deeply disappointed to see their run end here. Notably, they finish the season as the only unbeaten team in the Europa League, across 10 matches (3 wins, 7 draws, 0 losses).

16 - Panathinaikos will carry Greece's hopes into the next round and will feel greatly relieved to have survived that tie. Rafa Benitez's team had to play the second half of extra time with ten men, yet still found a way to force a shootout. All three of their meetings with Plzen this campaign ended level, making penalty kicks a fitting decider. Pana return to the UEL last 16, having last reached that stage 16 years ago in the competition's inaugural edition under its current name.

Genk outlasts Dinamo

18 - For the second consecutive week, Bologna secured a 1-0 victory at the expense of Brann. The Italian side progresses 2-0 on aggregate, marking their best European campaign since 1998/99. Joao Mario's second-half goal sealed the outcome for Rossoblu, who played the final 53 minutes with a man advantage. Defeating them at home in the UEL is a formidable challenge, a feat no team has accomplished. Furthermore, the club registered their 18th clean sheet in continental competition.

0 - Brann are eliminated from the Europa League at the same stage they exited the 2007/08 UEFA Cup. As happened then, the Norwegian side lost both legs of their tie. At least they conceded six fewer goals this time, a minor positive. All three of their final matches in the competition ended in 1-0 defeats. The red card shown to Jacob Sorensen ten minutes before halftime proved decisive, as Brann failed to register a single shot in the second half.

6 - Celta Vigo returns to the UEL last 16 nine years after their last appearance. They were tested by PAOK, but their slender 1-0 home win settled the tie. Over the two legs, Os Celestes prevailed 3-1. All three meetings between the sides this term went Celta's way, with the Spaniards winning 3-1 on matchday two. They appear to relish facing Greek clubs, securing their sixth win in seven attempts (6 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses).

2- There was no fortune for PAOK once more as they failed to progress from the playoffs for the second season in a row. Losing this tie was not a major shock given their poor record against Spanish teams. Still, the Greek club misses out on a last-16 place. Scoring has not been an issue for Dikefalos, who netted 17 times in the league phase. Failing to score on Thursday marked only the second time in the 2025/26 UEL proper that they did not find the net.

8 - Nottingham Forest will be relieved to have navigated a tricky tie against Fenerbahce. They were one of two teams to advance despite losing on the night. The 2-1 home defeat was insufficient for the Turkish side to overturn the deficit, with The Tricky Trees moving on 4-2 on aggregate. Notably, Forest have never won a European match when conceding more than once, with this being the eighth such instance (0 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses).

30 - While eliminated, Fenerbahce can take some pride in their committed effort. Kerem Akturkoglu scored both goals for the visitors, causing Forest significant concern. Ultimately, the first-leg deficit proved too costly. After qualifying from this round a year ago, they could not repeat the feat. Thursday's victory was only Fenerbahce's second ever win on English soil, coming approximately 30 years after the first.

9 - Genk required extra time to get past Dinamo Zagreb in a tie that produced 10 goals across 210 minutes of football. The Limburg-based side scored twice in extra time to draw 3-3 and advance 6-4 overall. The Smurfs are now the sole remaining Belgian team in Europe following Club Brugge's elimination earlier in the week. They will feature in the Europa League round of 16 for the first time in nine years.

22 - Although Dinamo managed to match their opponents' 3-1 victory from the previous week in regular time, they faded in extra time. Luka Stojkovic's red card midway through extra time compounded their issues, coming minutes after conceding. The Croatian team, historically successful against Belgian sides, conceded in all 10 of their European matches this campaign. In total, they allowed 22 goals, a key factor in their elimination.

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