The Europa League and Conference League are halfway through their league phases, with several teams on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout stages. At the top of the table is Aston Villa, who sit in sixth place with nine points from four games. They face a tough test against Young Boys, RB Salzburg, Fenerbahce, and Basel in their remaining fixtures.
Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, are struggling to find form, sitting in 23rd place with two wins, two draws, and one defeat. Their last loss came against Midtjylland under Ange Postecoglou's tenure, while their sole victory was against Porto under Sean Dyche's leadership.
The situation is less dire for Celtic and Rangers, who currently sit outside the top 24 places. While they are at risk of elimination, Celtic are within touching distance of breaking into the top 24 with four points. Bologna occupy 24th on five points.
In contrast, Crystal Palace are making a strong push in the Conference League, sitting level on points with Fiorentina for eighth place. They face Strasbourg, Shelbourne, and KuPS in their remaining fixtures.
To make it to the top eight in either competition, teams need more points than those who finished eighth or 24th last season. Opta predicts that Palace will secure automatic qualification for the knockouts, finishing fourth on 14 points.
The knockout stages are set to commence in late February 2026, with the quarter-finals taking place in April and May of that year. The final is scheduled to take place on May 20, 2026, at Istanbul.
For those interested in watching all the action, Sky Sports has become the exclusive UK broadcaster of both competitions from the 2027/28 season. This means that their viewers will have access to 342 matches across both leagues, seven nights a week, thanks to their extensive coverage of other domestic competitions.
Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, are struggling to find form, sitting in 23rd place with two wins, two draws, and one defeat. Their last loss came against Midtjylland under Ange Postecoglou's tenure, while their sole victory was against Porto under Sean Dyche's leadership.
The situation is less dire for Celtic and Rangers, who currently sit outside the top 24 places. While they are at risk of elimination, Celtic are within touching distance of breaking into the top 24 with four points. Bologna occupy 24th on five points.
In contrast, Crystal Palace are making a strong push in the Conference League, sitting level on points with Fiorentina for eighth place. They face Strasbourg, Shelbourne, and KuPS in their remaining fixtures.
To make it to the top eight in either competition, teams need more points than those who finished eighth or 24th last season. Opta predicts that Palace will secure automatic qualification for the knockouts, finishing fourth on 14 points.
The knockout stages are set to commence in late February 2026, with the quarter-finals taking place in April and May of that year. The final is scheduled to take place on May 20, 2026, at Istanbul.
For those interested in watching all the action, Sky Sports has become the exclusive UK broadcaster of both competitions from the 2027/28 season. This means that their viewers will have access to 342 matches across both leagues, seven nights a week, thanks to their extensive coverage of other domestic competitions.
Aston Villa is on fire right now 
but gotta feel for Nottingham Forest struggling to find form 
They need to get their act together if they wanna make a push for the top 24 spots 
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are killing it in the Conference League 
finishing fourth on 14 points will definitely secure them automatic qualification 
Can't wait for the knockout stages to kick off in Feb '26 and May '26 
gonna be some intense matches! 
! i'm loving the competitiveness between teams like Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, it's like they're fighting for every point 
but at the same time, i'm kinda rooting for Crystal Palace in the Conference League, they got some sick matches coming up 
like isnt Aston Villa just chillin on 6th place w/ only 9 points? and theres still so much work 2 do 4 the playoff spots 
i feel bad for Nottingham Forest tho, dey been havin a rubbish season atm 
but on the bright side Crystal Palace r killin it in the Conference League 
. I mean, two wins, two draws, and one defeat... not exactly the most inspiring stats. But Celtic and Rangers are close behind, so it's all good! 
, and I think they're gonna make it to the top eight for sure. Sky Sports getting the UK rights is a big deal 
, can't wait to watch all the action! 
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. But you know who's doing alright? Crystal Palace in the Conference League, they're giving it their all and might just make it to the knockouts 
. The knockout stages are going to be EPIC 
they cant just coast on a few good wins 
aston villa and palace r doin alright 
they need 2 turn it around ASAP 
conference league is lookin fierce 
cant wait 2 see all the action 
. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are on fire in the Conference League and I'm hoping they make it into the top 8 with Sky Sports being the new UK broadcaster 
!
! It's like a soap opera, but with more fancy footwork and fewer love triangles 
. I mean, who needs a juicy romance when you've got Aston Villa trying to qualify for the knockout stages? Sixth place is no joke, fam! And poor Nottingham Forest, they're like the comedy club that just can't catch a break 
. But hey, at least Celtic and Rangers are still in the game, right? They're like the underdog cousins who always manage to sneak into the party