Europa League: Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest learn fate in R16
What's the story
Aston Villa will face French club Lille in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest will take on Danish side Midtjylland. Nottingham Forest secured their place in the last 16 by making it through the knockout play-off stage, while Aston Villa directly entered the Round of 16 as a seeded team. The first legs are scheduled for March 12 while second legs will be played on March 19.
Past match-up
Aston Villa to face Lille
Aston Villa, who finished second in the league phase table, will take on Lille in the Round of 16. The last encounter between the two teams was in the quarter-finals of the 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League, where Unai Emery's side progressed on penalties. This time around, seeded Villa will have home advantage in the second leg against Lille.
Familiar foes
Nottingham Forest to take on Midtjylland
Nottingham Forest will also be facing a familiar opponent in Midtjylland. The Danish side had beaten Forest 3-2 at the City Ground in October during the league phase under former manager Ange Postecoglou. However, under new boss Vitor Pereira, they secured their place in the last 16 by beating Fenerbahce 4-2 on aggregate in their knockout play-off.
Future clashes
Potential quarter-final opponents for Villa and Forest
If Aston Villa beat Lille, they will face either Roma or Bologna in the quarter-finals. On the other hand, if Nottingham Forest overcome Midtjylland, they will play Stuttgart or Porto. The last-16 first legs are scheduled for March 12 while the second legs are set for March 19. The schedule is expected to be released on Friday night.
Twitter Post
R16!
The round of 16 is set ✅#UEL pic.twitter.com/YdHzqBAygZ
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 27, 2026