Soccer February 26, 2026

Stuttgart absolutely tore Celtic apart at Celtic Park in the first leg, winning 4-1 in a performance that was both ruthless and at times embarrassing for the Scottish champions. Bilal El Khannouss scored twice, exposing some truly sloppy defending from Celtic, while Jamie Leweling and Tiago Tomas added to the tally. The telling detail from that night was how Celtic's own goalkeeper, 39-year-old Kasper Schmeichel, was booed by sections of the home support after two soft goals. That's the kind of toxicity that tells you a European campaign is effectively over. Benjamin Nygren did briefly equalize with his 16th goal of the season, but it was a fleeting moment of hope in an otherwise dismal evening.

The mountain Celtic need to climb is essentially Everest without oxygen. They need to win by three clear goals in Stuttgart just to force extra time, and the Bundesliga side have never lost a home major European match against Scottish opposition, boasting a record of four wins and two draws. Stuttgart's form has been electric, with the German club scoring three or more goals in six of their last eight matches across all competitions. They followed up the Celtic demolition with a six-goal thriller away to Heidenheim in the Bundesliga, so there's absolutely no sense that they'll take their foot off the gas here. The MHPArena should be a fortress, and Stuttgart's attacking potency makes any idea of a Celtic comeback feel purely theoretical.

Celtic's European away record in knockout competition is brutal: winless in their last 12 European away knockout matches in the main stage of UEFA competitions, with nine defeats in that stretch. Martin O'Neill is back in the dugout after being rehired in January following Wilfried Nancy's disastrous spell, and while the legendary manager has steadied the domestic ship, European knockout football at this level demands a quality of performance that Celtic simply haven't been able to produce on the road. The absence of Arne Engels, who isn't in their squad for this match, further diminishes their creative options. Jeff Chabot is suspended for Stuttgart and Angelo Stiller was a late withdrawal from the Heidenheim game, but he trained without issue and should be available. This one feels like a procession.

The 3.0 total reflects the expectation that this could be a relatively open contest, especially if Celtic throw caution to the wind in pursuit of the miracle. Stuttgart will happily let them push forward and punish them on the counter, which is precisely the dynamic that produced the 4-1 first-leg scoreline. With a place in the Round of 16 against either Braga or Porto awaiting the winners, Stuttgart are focused on advancing professionally and building momentum for the deeper stages of this tournament. Celtic's season on the European stage is all but over, and this second leg feels like a formality wrapped in a Bundesliga masterclass.

If you're looking for the most atmospheric fixture on the entire Europa League slate, this is it. The Stadion Rajko Mitic, known as the Marakana, is one of the most intimidating environments in European football, and Crvena Zvezda's supporters will be absolutely ferocious knowing their team is 90 minutes away from a place in the Round of 16. Red Star grabbed a precious 1-0 away victory in Lille thanks to Franklin Uchenna's goal, their fifth 1-0 win of this Europa League campaign. That result was historically significant too: it was Crvena Zvezda's first European match win in France at the 10th attempt, having previously drawn twice and lost seven times on French soil.

The Serbian champions followed up their continental heroics with a dominant 3-0 home victory over fierce city rivals Partizan in the Serbian Super Liga, with Vasilije Kostoc, Marko Arnautovic, and Aleksandar Katai all finding the net. That result confirmed the team's confidence and composure are at an elite level right now. Crvena Zvezda are aiming to win their first knockout round tie in European competition since eliminating Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski in the UEFA Cup back in September 2007. That's nearly two decades of knockout heartbreak, and you can guarantee the Marakana will be generating an extraordinary atmosphere to will them over the line. Rade Krunic and Timi Max Elsnik provide the midfield steel and energy to absorb pressure and launch counters, while Katai remains the creative heartbeat of the team.

Lille are in serious trouble, and not just because of the aggregate deficit. The French club's form in 2026 has been nothing short of abysmal. Their weekend win over Angers courtesy of an Olivier Giroud penalty was only their second victory in 11 matches. Five points from the last seven rounds of the championship, plus a home cup exit against Lyon, paints the picture of a team in freefall. Manager Bruno Genesio has a defensive crisis on his hands too: Alexsandro is out with a calf injury, Thomas Meunier is unavailable, and the absence list stretches to include Marc-Aurele Caillard, Osame Sahraoui, Hamza Igamane, Ousmane Toure, and Ethan Mbappe. That's a decimated squad walking into one of the loudest stadiums in European football with no margin for error.

The history here is damning for Lille: they've never advanced in a European tie after losing the first leg. Not once. That record, combined with their wretched recent form and lengthy injury list, makes them heavy underdogs to produce the kind of performance needed in Belgrade. Giroud's experience and quality could provide a lifeline, but even the veteran French striker would admit that the task feels enormous given the circumstances. Crvena Zvezda have been defensively excellent throughout this campaign, and the Marakana crowd will make every 50-50 ball feel like a home advantage. This one has all the ingredients for a night of Serbian celebration, and Lille look like they're simply along for the ride at this point.

Bologna grabbed an early advantage in Bergen through Santiago Castro's ninth-minute strike, and now they bring that slender 1-0 lead back to the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, where their European pedigree this season has been nothing short of remarkable. The goal itself was a beautiful piece of combination play: Federico Bernardeschi's interception and Nicolo Cambiaghi's incisive pass carved Brann open before Castro finished clinically. Bologna are vying to reach their first UEFA knockout round progression in 26 years, and the Italian side have been virtually impregnable in European competition at home, never losing a home knockout match across 27 major European games with a record of 16 wins and 11 draws. That's a staggering statistic that Brann will need to somehow overcome.

The Serie A side finished 10th in the Europa League league phase, comfortably securing their place in these playoffs. This is the third meeting between these two clubs this season, with the previous encounters producing a league-phase draw at the Dall'Ara and the 1-0 win in Norway. Bologna remain unbeaten in four European meetings with Norwegian clubs across two wins and two draws, and their understanding of Brann's strengths and weaknesses is comprehensive at this point. The Italian side's defensive organization and ability to control the tempo of matches has been their calling card in this competition, and they won't be in any rush to force the issue when a single-goal aggregate lead and home advantage already tilt the equation heavily in their favor.

Brann's situation is dire. The Norwegian outfit scraped through the league phase in 24th place, the very last qualifying spot, and their form since has been brutal. Just one win in their last 11 games across all competitions tells you everything about where this team is mentally and physically. They've never beaten Italian opposition in major European competition, failing to score in all four of those encounters. The absence of several key players including Niklas Castro, Saevar Atli Magnusson, and Eggert Aron Gudmundsson further weakens an already depleted squad. Bologna have injury concerns of their own with Benjamin Dominguez, Charalambos Lykogiannis, Juan Miranda, and Torbjorn Heggem all unavailable, but the depth and quality gap between these two squads is significant enough that those absences shouldn't alter the fundamental dynamic of this tie. Bologna should finish the job professionally and march into the Round of 16.

Celta de Vigo return to Balaidos holding a 2-1 advantage after a composed first-leg display in Thessaloniki, and all signs point toward the Spanish side closing this out comfortably. Iago Aspas opened the scoring before Williot Swedberg added a second, and although PAOK pulled one back late, the Galicians left Greece with both the lead and the psychological edge. Aspas has been directly involved in Celta's last four goals, contributing three goals and an assist, and his last three Europa League strikes, two of which came against PAOK, have all arrived before halftime. The 37-year-old legend continues to defy Father Time, and his ability to drift between lines and create something from nothing gives Celta a decisive creative advantage in this tie.

Celta's home form has been outstanding. They've won five of their last six competitive fixtures at Balaidos, and their domestic form mirrors that European confidence, with a 2-0 La Liga victory over Mallorca pushing them into the top six. Claudio Giraldez's 3-4-3 system has unlocked attacking threats across the pitch, with Swedberg's direct running from wide areas creating space for overlapping wing-backs. Celta's European record against Greek clubs is dominant: five successive victories, scoring at least twice each time. They've progressed from nine of their ten previous UEFA knockout ties after winning the first leg, and PAOK's dreadful record in Spain, zero wins with six defeats and 21 goals conceded across eight trips, makes the task feel nearly impossible for the Greek side.

PAOK's injury list is genuinely alarming. They'll be without Andrija Zivkovic, Joan Sastre, Dimitrios Pelkas, Thomas Murg, Soualiho Meite, Giannis Konstantelias, Luka Ivanusec, Kiril Despodov, and Mahamadou Balde on Thursday. Dejan Lovren is also questionable. That's essentially an entire starting eleven of missing players, and even the most optimistic PAOK supporter would struggle to argue their side has the depth to compete under these circumstances. They've managed just one win from their last five matches across all competitions, with their most recent outing ending in a 1-1 draw against AE Larissa. Celta should advance with minimal drama.

Genk were outstanding in Zagreb, dismantling Dinamo 3-1 on their own turf in a performance that blended patience with devastating precision. Zakaria El Ouahdi struck twice, including a stoppage-time exclamation point, while captain Bryan Heynen also found the net. The Belgian side now return to the Cegeka Arena with a comfortable two-goal cushion and the confidence that comes from tearing apart a Croatian powerhouse in their own backyard. Genk are on a three-game Europa League winning streak and have been unbeaten in their last three European home matches at the Cegeka Arena across two wins and a draw.

The European attack has been impressively distributed for Genk this season. El Ouahdi, Daan Heymans, and Oh Hyeon-Gyu have each scored three times in the Europa League, the first time the club has had three players reach that tally in a single major European campaign. That shared offensive burden makes them incredibly difficult to defend against, because you can't simply focus on one threat. Genk's domestic form hit a bump over the weekend with a 3-0 defeat to Standard Liege that snapped a seven-match unbeaten run, but that result feels more like a natural letdown after the high of the Zagreb performance than any structural concern.

Dinamo's task is enormous, and the absences make it even more daunting. Dion Beljo, who has five Europa League goals this season, is suspended, and that's a massive blow to their attacking capability. Ismail Bennacer also misses out with a hamstring strain. Dinamo's away knockout record in European competition is brutal: five defeats in their last six such matches, including three straight losses since 2021. Without Beljo's physical presence up front, the responsibility shifts to Monsef Bakrar and the creative support of Miha Zajc, but the two-goal deficit and the fortress-like quality of the Cegeka Arena suggest Genk should advance without serious alarm.

This is the tie that feels most likely to produce a dramatic second-leg turnaround. Ferencvaros trail 2-1 from the first leg in Razgrad, but there's a fascinating underlying story here. The Hungarian champions actually dominated the first match statistically, generating 1.57 xG from 17 shots compared to Ludogorets' 0.47 xG from just 10 attempts. Kwadwo Duah and Son scored for the Bulgarian side in a ruthlessly efficient performance, while Yusuf Bamidele's equalizer was just a brief moment of respite. Ferencvaros were the better team but got punished for their profligacy, and that xG gap suggests the quality differential between these sides actually favors the Hungarians.

The Groupama Arena factor is enormous. Ferencvaros are unbeaten in their last eight home major European matches, winning six and drawing two, and here's the detail that should terrify Ludogorets: Ferencvaros have already beaten them twice in Budapest this season. A 3-0 Champions League qualifying win and a 3-1 Europa League league phase victory mean the Hungarian champions have scored six and conceded just one in two home meetings this term. Robbie Keane's side know exactly how to exploit Ludogorets at the Groupama Arena, and the return of their home support should provide the emotional fuel needed to chase down a one-goal deficit.

Ludogorets need only a draw to advance, but their away record in European competition is a major vulnerability. Since November 2019, they've won just one of 20 away matches at this level, drawing six and losing 13, with three straight road defeats in this competition. The suspension of center-back Dinis Almeida further undermines the reliability of their central defense at a venue where Ferencvaros have repeatedly shredded them. Petar Stanic has been Ludogorets' standout performer with seven goals and an assist in 11 Europa League matches, and his threat on the counter will be a factor. But the weight of evidence suggests Ferencvaros have the home quality and the motivation to overturn this deficit. This could be the most exciting match of the early kickoff window.

This is the only tie in the entire Europa League playoff round that remains perfectly level heading into the second leg, and that makes it one of the most intriguing fixtures of the evening. The 2-2 first-leg draw in Athens was a dramatic affair, with Tomas Ladra's late strike rescuing parity for the Czech side. That result preserved Viktoria Plzen's remarkable unbeaten record in this season's Europa League, the only team in the competition that hasn't tasted defeat across nine matches with three wins and six draws. They've conceded just five goals while scoring ten in those nine outings, reflecting a defensive solidity that will be crucial on home soil.

The Doosan Arena gives Plzen a genuine edge in this decider. These two sides have met twice in European competition this season, both ending level, a 2-2 draw in Athens and a goalless contest in December 2025. The third meeting will be the tiebreaker, and Plzen's home record gives them reason for confidence. However, the Czech side were weakened during the winter transfer window when 13-goal striker Rafiu Durosinmi secured a move to Serie A's Pisa, and that goal-scoring void hasn't been fully replaced. Merchas Doski is suspended after a yellow card in the first leg, and Jan Paluska remains sidelined with injury.

Panathinaikos bring experience to the table in the form of manager Rafael Benitez, one of Europe's most decorated coaches with Europa League triumphs at Valencia and Chelsea on his resume. The Spaniard knows exactly how to navigate these types of knife-edge knockout ties. Karol Swiderski has been the Greek side's main threat with four European goals this campaign, including two headers, and his aerial presence gives Panathinaikos a consistent attacking outlet. However, the absences of Georgios Kyriopoulos, Cyriel Dessers, Pedro Chirivella, Facundo Pellistri, Moussa Sissoko, and Giannis Kotsiras represent a significant chunk of their squad. Despite their injury woes, Panathinaikos are unbeaten in their last six Europa League fixtures, though four of those were draws. Something has to give tonight, and the home advantage could prove decisive for a Plzen side that has been remarkably hard to beat all season.