The 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League is more exciting and unpredictable than ever! This year, the format changed from group stages to a more significant league phase, with 36 teams competing across Europe for the top spot. In the past, teams were in fixed groups, but now they played eight matches – four at home and four away – against different teams. After several weeks of football, the eight best teams automatically advanced to the Round of 16 because of their strong performances. The remaining eight spots were filled through a knockout round for teams ranked 9th to 24th.
Now, we are at the Round of 16, where the best teams in Europe will face an exciting battle of skill and strategy. Whether they are top clubs, unexpected contenders, or former champions, the competition for the Europa League trophy is heating up. Who will take the next step toward winning the trophy in Bilbao? Prepare for thrilling football, last-minute excitement, and unforgettable moments as the knockout stage begins!
In the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League knockout playoff, teams pushed beyond their limits and showed excellent performances to reach the Round of 16. Some teams left home with disappointing results, while others are ready to elevate their game for the final stage. Despite their leg one ending up in a 1-2, Bodo/Glimt’s performance in the second leg made them qualify for the Round of 16 by defeating Twente with an aggregate score of 6-4. By a margin of one point, Roma defeated Porto and headed into this Round of 16 Leg 1. Despite the Leg two game ending up in a 2-2 draw between Galatasaray and AZ Alkmaar, the dominance of AZ Alkmaar in the leg with a scoreline of 4-1 helped them qualify for the further rounds.
With an aggregate score of 4-1, FCSB defeated PAOK in the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League knockout playoffs. On the other hand, the extra-time goal saved Ajax’s final hope alive by defeating Royale Union SG by a margin of one point. In their first H2H battle in their history, Real Sociedad took advantage over Midtjylland, where Brais Mendez played a crucial role for Real Sociedad in both games. Fenerbahce took the lead over Anderlecht with an aggregate score of 5-2, and in the final match of the knockout playoffs, Plzen grabbed their spot by defeating Ferencvaros with an aggregate score of 3-1. With the same expectation, we are moving forward to the Round of 15 leg one fixture of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League.
AZ Alkmaar vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The upcoming 2024-25 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Leg one clash between AZ Alkmaar and Tottenham Hotspur is set for March 6, 2025, at AFAS Stadion (Alkmaar).
Championships Won
- AZ Alkmaar: 0 Europa League title
- Tottenham Hotspur: 2 Europa League titles
Both teams head into this match with a disappointing defeat in their respective tournaments, where AZ Alkmaar lost to Heerenveen in Eredivisie with a score of 1-3. Only Zico Buurmeester scored one point for AZ Alkmaar, and their unbalanced attack and defense ended the game in defeat. At the same time, Tottenham Hotspur was defeated in their Premier League campaign with Manchester City. In the entire match, Tottenham Hotspur was involved in various substitution changes, but nothing helped them score a single point.
Over to their Europa League campaign, Tottenham Hotspur wrapped up the league phase on a high note, which qualified them to the Round of 16 directly. At the same time, AZ Alkmaar, who found themselves in 19th place, played in the knockout playoffs and successfully won the two legs by defeating Galatasaray. This match will be their second H2H meetup in their history, where the first meetup ended up favoring Tottenham Hotspur with a scoreline of 1-0 in round 3 of the Europa League phase. Considering the recent form of both teams, Tottenham Hotspur has an edge to win this game.
FCSB vs. Olympique Lyonnais
On Thursday, FCSB will face off against Olympique Lyonnais in the Leg 1 fixture of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League Round of 15 encounter on March 6, 2025, at Arena Nationala (Bucharest).
Championships Won
- FCSB: 0 Europa League title
- Olympique Lyonnais: 0 Europa League title
Olympique Lyonnais’s performance this season has been quite impressive, particularly in their last ten matches, with three wins, four draws, and three losses. In their Ligue 1 campaign, they are standing in sixth place with a record of 11 wins, six draws, and seven losses, and they need two more points to qualify for the Europa League group stage. This season in the Europa League, their offense and defense were great, where they scored 16 goals with an average of 2.0 points per game, and defensively they conceded eight total goals with an average of 1.0 points per game.
Meanwhile, FCSB’s performance was also outstanding, as they won six, drew three, and lost only one match across the competitions. In SuperLiga, FCSB is standing ahead in the table with a record of 14 wins, 11 draws, and four losses, which shows their consistent performance and determination. Their offense in the Champions League campaign was not that impressive because they scored 14 total goals with an average of 1.4 points per game. However, defensively, they are outstanding, with 10 total goals conceded with an average of 1.0 points per game. Considering their H2H record, Lyon has a higher chance of winning this game.
Fenerbahce vs. Rangers
At Ulker Stadium Şükrü Saracoğlu (Istanbul), Fenerbahce will compete against Rangers on March 6, 2025, in the highly anticipated Round of 16 leg one of the 2024-25 Europa League.
Championships Won
- Fenerbahce: 0 Europa League title
- Rangers: 0 Europa League title
During their previous encounter, Fenerbahce won the game against Antalyaspor 3-0 in the Super Lig of round 26. In the first half of the game, Fenerbahce showed a balanced offense and defense, which made them outscore the opponent with a score of 3-0. Thanks to Mert Muldur, Dusan Tadic, and Youssef En Nesyri, who led the team towards victory. In the second half of the game, both teams struggled to convert their chances into goals, which ended up the second half 0-0, so the early advantage gave the team a second straight victory.
On the other hand, Rangers defeated Motherwell with a score of 1-2 in the Premiership. In the 54th minute of the game, Cyriel Dessers scored the first goal for Rangers, but the early dominance from the opponent wrapped up the game in defeat. Look over to their Head-to-Head matches; both teams met two times in the Champions League in 2001, where one game ended up in a goalless draw, and the second one favored triumph for Fenerbahce. Concerning the recent performance of both teams, Fenerbahce has the upper hand in winning this game.
Real Sociedad vs. Manchester United
The Round of 16 Leg 1 clash between Real Sociedad and Manchester United is scheduled for March 6, 2025, at Reale Arena (San Sebastian).
Championships Won
- Real Sociedad: 0 Europa League title
- Manchester United: 1 Europa League title
Real Sociedad is preparing to face Manchester United in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League last-16 tie. This will be the third time they have met in the UEL in the past five seasons. Real Sociedad have not scored in their previous three home matches against Manchester United, drawing one and losing two. However, they have scored in all ten UEL matches this season and have a substantial home record, winning 11 out of their last 14 at the Reale Arena. Manchester United are dealing with injuries and fatigue after their recent FA Cup loss to Fulham in a penalty shootout.
They have lost three of their last six matches, putting pressure on their head coach Ruben Amorim. Despite their struggles, Manchester United have been strong in the UEL, averaging 18.8 shots per game, the highest among the remaining teams. They have also succeeded in European away matches against Spanish teams, with only one loss in their last eight games. However, six of their previous seven European campaigns ended with elimination by the La Liga team. As a result, Manchester United has a higher possibility of winning this game.
Ajax vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
On March 6, 2025, Ajax will be home to face Eintracht Frankfurt at Johan Cruijff Arena (Amsterdam) in the forthcoming 2024-25 UEFA Europa League Round of 15 Leg 1.
Championships Won
- Ajax: 1 Europa League title
- Eintracht Frankfurt: 2 Europa League titles
Ajax was previously knocked out at this stage by Benfica in the UEFA Champions League in the 2021/22 season and by Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League last year. They aim to advance beyond the Round of 16 for the first time since the 2020/21 season. The first leg will be held in Amsterdam, where Ajax has won eight of their last nine matches. However, their previous two defeats at home were in the UEL, and they’ve lost four of their previous six games in the competition.
Eintracht Frankfurt has been struggling, with only one win in their last seven matches. Their away form is worse, with five losses in their previous eight away games, including defeats against Lyon and Roma in the UEL. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last 12 European away games and conceded eight goals in their previous two Bundesliga matches. Dino Toppmöller’s team must improve their defense when facing Ajax, an experienced and successful European opponent. Based on Ajax’s home form, they will be the favorite to win this game.
AS Roma vs. Athletic Club
At Stadio Olimpico (Rome), we will witness the clash between AS Roma and Athletic Club on March 6, 2025, in the exciting Round of 16 leg 1 of the Europa League action.
Championships Won
- AS Roma: 0 Europa League title
- Athletic Club: 0 Europa League title
The first leg will be held in Rome, where Roma has been in great form, winning ten of their last eleven home games. They recently defeated Como 2-1, adding to their confidence. Roma also has a four-match winning streak at home in the UEFA Europa League, scoring nine goals. On the other hand, Athletic Bilbao was doing well until their recent 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, which ended their six-match unbeaten run.
However, they have won six of their last seven Europa League games. Bilbao has been scoring well, with 15 goals in the UEL this season, but they have struggled in their previous four away matches, failing to win any (two draws, two losses). Given Roma’s strong home form and Athletic Bilbao’s recent struggles on the road, Roma is favored to win the first leg at the Stadio Olimpico.
Bodo/Glimt vs. Olympiacos Piraeus
For Leg One of Round 16, Olympiacos Piraeus will travel to Aspmyra Stadion (Bodø) on March 6, 2025, to face Bodo/Glimt.
Championships Won
- Bodo/Glimt: 0 Europa League title
- Olympiacos Piraeus: 0 Europa League title
Bodo/Glimt had an exciting 5-2 win over Twente, winning 6-4 on aggregate, to reach the UEFA Europa League last 16 for the first time. Despite their domestic season, which ended months ago, they have been strong in Europe, with three wins from their previous five UEFA Europa League games. They are also strong at home, winning four of their last five Europa League home matches.
On the other hand, Olympiacos are looking to win consecutive European trophies after their Conference League victory last year. Olympiacos is in great form, with a recent 1-0 win over AEK Athens and an unbeaten run since October. They have also conceded the fewest goals in this UEL campaign and have kept clean sheets in their last four competitive away matches. Both teams’ recent forms are impressive, so we can expect a draw in this match.
Plzen vs. Lazio
The 2024-25 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Leg 1 will wrap up with the battle between Plzen and Lazio on March 6, 2025, at Doosan Arena (Plzen).
Championships Won
- Plzen: 0 Europa League title
- Lazio: 0 Europa League title
Viktoria Plzeň lost 3-1 to Athletic Club on matchday eight of the UEFA Europa League (UEL) but made it to the knockout phase play-off as the last-seeded team. They beat Ferencváros 3-1 on aggregate to reach Round 16. Plzeň is in good form, having beaten Mladá Boleslav 2-0 in the league on Sunday. They have been strong at home, losing only one of their last 17 UEL home games. However, they have struggled against Italian teams, failing to score in their previous two home games against Italian opponents. Lazio topped the league phase standings and now faces Plzeň for the first time.
Their experience against Czech teams is limited, with mixed results against Sparta Prague. Before losing to Braga on matchday eight, Lazio won their first three UEL away games, scoring at least twice in each fixture. They recently beat AC Milan 2-1 away from home, which should give them confidence. Key players to watch: Plzeň’s Václav Jemelka, who has scored the opener in two of their last four games, and Lazio’s Mattia Zaccagni, who has opened the scoring in two of Lazio’s last four away games. Therefore, Lazio will have an edge to win this game.
