Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Celtic are among the British clubs involved in the Europa League knockout phase, with Villa already securing a top-eight finish and a spot in the last 16. Unai Emery's side cannot finish lower than seventh after winning six of their seven matches, and their final group game against RB Salzburg will only affect seeding. Forest and Celtic, however, are likely heading for the play-off round after finishing outside the top eight.
Nottingham Forest currently sit 16th in the league table following a defeat at Braga. If the play-off draw were held now, they would face either Viktoria Plzen or Fenerbahce. Should Forest win that tie, their round of 16 opponents would be either group leaders Lyon or Premier League rivals Aston Villa. Forest have already lost 3-1 to Villa in the league this season.
Celtic occupy the final play-off spot in 24th place, with eight points and a negative goal difference. A win at home against winless Utrecht could lift them as high as 19th. As it stands, Celtic would face either Porto or Genk in the play-offs, with the potential round of 16 pairing being against Ferencvaros or Real Betis if they progress. Rangers, meanwhile, have been eliminated from play-off contention after winning only one of seven matches.
Aston Villa, second in the table, will avoid top-seeded Lyon until the final. Their last 16 opponents will be one of four teams: Bologna, Nottingham Forest, Viktoria Plzen or Fenerbahce. Villa have beaten both Bologna and Fenerbahce 1-0 this season. Emery, a four-time Europa League winner with Sevilla and Villarreal, also led Arsenal to the 2019 final. This year's final takes place in Istanbul at Besiktas' home stadium.
