Europa League - Crucial Points Up for Grabs in Matchday 2
by Joseph King | by Joseph King
Fine margins in the league phase
A slate of intriguing fixtures are set to kick off today as we enter the second matchday in the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League! With only eight fixtures in the league phase, every match and every point earned can be decisive.
As a reminder, only eight of the 36 teams participating will secure an automatic spot in the round of 16, while positions 9th-24th have to play a knockout round playoff to earn their spot in the last 16. Last season, only three points separated 8th place from 21st place - a reminder of just how fine the margins will likely be this year as well.
Last season, 10-11 points were needed to secure a spot in the top 24, while a point total of 14-15 was good for a top eight spot. There were only three points that separated 8th place from 21st - a reminder of just how fine the margins will be this year as well.
Feyenoord vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa couldn’t have imagined a much worse start than the one they endured to open up the 2025-26 season. Unai Emery’s side started the 2025-26 without a win in their first six games, which included failing to score in their first four straight. However, they appear to be finally starting to find their feet, winning their last two straight which included three points over Bologna in their Europa League opener.
They’ll meet a Feyenoord side who fell to a 1-0 defeat to Braga in their opener. The Dutch side would see their qualification hopes take a massive hit if they were to lose here. Check out our Feyenoord vs Aston Villa prediction in what’s sure to be one of the best ties of the round!
Aston Villa matchday 1 statistics
| Aston Villa | Bologna | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 0 |
| Possession | 47 | 53 |
| Shots | 12 | 17 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 7 |
| Expected goals | 1.45 | 1.24 |
| Big chances | 1 | 2 |
Sturm Graz vs Rangers
After returning to the Champions League last season for the first time in almost 25 years, Sturm Graz now set their sights on perhaps more achievable goals in the Europa League. They started off with a 2-0 defeat to Midtjylland, but didn’t perform as poorly as the scoreline might suggest, as highlighted by our experts in our Sturm Graz vs Rangers prediction.
As for Rangers, Russel Martin is playing with fire. A loss for the under-fire manager here could potentially result in his sacking. In fact, there have been some fans calling for his job since Rangers’ historic 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League qualifying playoff. Not much has gone right for the Gers to start the 2025-26 campaign, with only five wins in their first 15 across all competitions. The pressure is on with both teams trying to avoid an 0-0-2 start.
Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland
It’s been a turbulent start to the 2025-26 season for Nottingham Forest, who have already undergone a managerial change. Nuno Espirito Santo, who did so well to guide Forest to seventh last year, had a falling out with the ownership and was promptly sacked just three games into the campaign. His replacement, Ange Postecoglou, is still searching for his first win as manager after five games, and the fans will be demanding the three points here. The Tricky Trees were pegged back late in their opener away to Betis, having to settle for a 2-2 draw after Antony’s equalizer in the last five minutes.
Midtjylland took full advantage of their home match against Strum Graz, walking away with all three points in a 2-0 victory. They'll be in for a tough match, but our experts think they have what it takes to secure the win. See the full breakdown in our Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland prediction.
Nottingham Forest results under Postecoglou
- Home record: 0-0-1
- Away record: 0-2-2
- Goals scored: 5
- Goals conceded: 10
Roma vs Lille
One of the favorites to win the Europa League this season, 2021-22 Conference League champions AS Roma host French side LOSC Lille in the Italian capital. With a proven manager in Gian Piero Gasperini at the helm, fans will be hoping that this is the year that the Giallorossi stamp their mark in the Italian league and in Europe. They’ve gotten off to fast starts in both, sitting even on points with leaders AC Milan in the Serie A after five games and having taken the three points in a tricky Europa League opener away to Nice.
Lille have already scored five stoppage time goals in their seven games this season!
Lille have already benefited from a number of late winners this year. Three of Lille’s four wins across all competitions this season have come courtesy of goals in the 80th minute or later. A win for either of these sides would see them take a big step towards securing qualification. It’s sure to be a fascinating battle - see what our experts think in our Roma vs Lille prediction!
Full matchday 2 fixture list
- Panathinaikos vs Go Ahead Eagles
- Roma vs Lille
- FCSB vs Young Boys
- Ludogorets vs Real Betis
- Viktoria Plzen vs Malmo
- Fenerbahce vs Nice
- Bologna vs Freiburg
- Brann vs Utrecht
- Celtic vs Braga
- Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland
- Lyon vs RB Salzburg
- KRC Genk vs Ferencvaros
- Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Dinamo Zagreb
- Sturm Graz vs Rangers
- Celta vs PAOK
- FC Porto vs Red Star
- Feyenoord vs Aston Villa
- Basel vs Stuttgart
