BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Six direct spots into the Europa League round of 16 are at stake, with 11 teams vying for the final five spots in the knockout stage in Thursday’s final round of the opening phase.
Only 1st place Lyon and 2nd place Aston Villa They have already qualified for the last 16 and are tied for first in points with 6 wins and 1 loss.
like champions leagueall 36 teams will play in a final 18 games that kick off at the same time, with the top eight teams automatically advancing after eight rounds.
Teams from 9th to 24th place will enter a two-leg playoff.
Lyon will host PAOK, while Villa will face Salzburg at home.
Third-place Freiburg, who are trailing the leaders by one point, will play against 21st-place Lille, but if the Bundesliga team gets one point, it will be enough.
6th place Roma will play away to 19th place Panathinaikos. 16th-placed Nottingham Forest will play seventh-placed Ferencváros at the City Ground.
Celtic are at the bottom of the qualification table in 24th place and need a win against 34th place Utrecht, which they have already been eliminated from. Scottish rivals Rangers, who are 31st in the table, are also out of the knockout race.
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