• Home
  • Football

2025/26 Europa League Round of 16 Draw - Outright Betting Odds & Predictions

eddy-tora
Editor
Last updated: Fri 27 Feb 2026 16:57
The 2025/26 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 draw has set the stage for an exciting phase of competition, with Aston Villa favored in the betting markets. The schedule reveals fierce matchups: Braga is poised against Ferencvaros, Real Betis faces Panathinaikos, and Genk battles Freiburg. Aston Villa, facing potential challenges from Roma and Nottingham Forest, leads the odds for eventual victory. Lyon presents strong value from the upper draw, with bookmakers tipping them as serious contenders. This stage paves a thrilling road towards the final at Besiktas Stadium.
Eddy Tora 27 Feb 2026
Share this article
Or copy link
  • The 2025/26 Europa League is down to the last 16
  • Aston Villa leads the betting market with Roma & Lyon next best
aston villa uefa
Aston Villa are the favourites to win the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League (Getty)

The 2025/26 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 draw has concluded and the path to the final at Besiktas Stadium mapped out. 

The upper bracket is expected to be dominated by Lyon while the lower bracket features tournament favourites Aston Villa.

Here is the complete schedule for the Round of 16 ties, followed by a breakdown of all eight matchups and what they mean for the outright winner market.

2025/26 Europa League Round of 16 Schedule


Team 1 Tie Team 2 1st LegKO (CET)
2nd LegKO (CET)
Ferencvaros 1 Braga 12 March21:00 19 March16:30
Panathinaikos 2 Real Betis 12 March18:45 19 March21:00
Genk 3 Freiburg 12 March21:00 19 March18:45
Celta Vigo 4 Lyon 12 March21:00 19 March18:45
Stuttgart 5 Porto 12 March18:45 19 March21:00
Nottingham Forest 6 Midtjylland 12 March21:00 19 March18:45
Bologna 7 Roma 12 March18:45 19 March21:00
Lille 8 Aston Villa 12 March18:45 19 March21:00

Ferencvaros vs Braga


Braga reached the Europa League final in 2011 and will be huge favorites to get past Ferencvaros.

Panathinaikos vs Real Betis


Real Betis lost the Conference League final last season and Panathinaikos survived a penalty shootout to get past Viktoria Plzen in the playoffs. Betis are heavy favorites to advance.

Genk vs Freiburg


Genk showed immense resilience to scrape past Dinamo Zagreb in playoffs and face a tougher challenge in Freiburg.

Celta Vigo vs Lyon


Lyon dominated the league phase to finish top of the table and are heavily backed in the outright markets. Celta Vigo are a tricky test but should have enough quality to get through.

Stuttgart vs Porto


Stuttgart beat Celtic on aggregate despite losing 1-0 at home in the second leg. Porto sit top of the table in Portugal after an impressive campaign under Francisco Farioli but face a tough test against the German club.

Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland


Forest got past Fenerbahce 4-2 on aggregate following a dominant 3-0 first leg victory in Turkey. New manager Vitor Pereira will be please with a tie against Midtjylland, arguably the weakest of the seeded teams.

Bologna vs Roma


An all-Italian clash, Roma know how to navigate deep European runs while Bologna are riding the momentum of last season's Coppa Italia victory.

Lille vs Aston Villa


Aston Villa who finished second to Lyon in the league phase and are the bookmakers' favorites to lift the trophy in May. Lille secured an extra time win over Crvena Zvezda to reach the round of 16.

2025/26 Europa League Winner Betting Odds


Aston Villa lead the way in the betting market but won't have an easy run to the final with Roma, Nottingham Forest, Stuttgart and Porto likely to stand in their way.

The top half of the draw offers more value with Lyon most likely to contest the showpiece in Istanbul.

TeamOdds
Aston Villa
3.75
Roma
8.00
Lyon
9.00
Nottingham Forest
9.00
Porto
10.00
Real Betis
11.00
Bologna
11.00
Stuttgart
13.00
SC Freiburg
21.00
Celta Vigo
21.00
Lille
26.00
Braga
29.00
Genk
34.00
Midtjylland
41.00
Ferencvaros
41.00
Panathinaikos
51.00
Source: Stake.com with odds correct on 27 February 2026

Verdict

It's easy to see why Aston Villa are the favourites but I am going to fade the English club. Roma have a quality side and Lyon should have enough quality to get though the top half of the draw.

Best Bet1: Roma Win Winner @7/1 at Hollywood bets - 2 Units
Best Bet2: Lyon Win Winner @8/1 at bet365 - 2 Units
Roma Win
Winner
@7/1 - 2 Units
£30 Free Bet
Use promo code NEWBONUS

Claim £30 free bet & 20 Free Spins. Use the promo code NEWBONUS. New Hollywoodbets account holders. 18 years or older. United Kingdom residents only. T&Cs apply.

Bet at Hollywood bets
Lyon Win
Winner
@8/1 - 2 Units
Bet £10 Get £30
with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365

Top Betting Sites

special-offer-1Betting offers

Upcoming Events

Hear more from Freetips.com