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Europa League: Qualification Scenarios Ahead of Final Two Rounds

by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath

image Europa League: Qualification Scenarios Ahead of Final Two Rounds
With the festive break now done and dusted, the 2024-25 Europa League campaign is set to resume this week with the penultimate round in the League Phase of the competition. Join us as we take a look at the teams that have already booked their spot in the knockout rounds and what your club may need from the final two matchdays to progress.

Seven Spots Booked in Knockout Round of the Europa League

With two rounds of play still to go, seven teams have already punched their tickets to the 2024-25 Europa League knockout round. To recap, the top eight sides from the League Phase qualify automatically for the round of 16, while the teams finishing in ninth to 24th place head into a two-legged knockout phase play-off to secure their path to the last 16. The Europa League knockout phase playoff draw will take place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, on January 31. 

On matchday 6 of the Europa League, Athletic Bilbao became the first team to guarantee themselves a spot in the knockout phase, beating Fenerbahce 2-0 at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul. Los Leones are one of five teams that have yet to taste defeat in this season’s Europa League, notching up 16 points from their six games, and they will complete the League Phase of the competition with a trip to face Besiktas in midweek before playing host to Viktoria Plzen on the final matchday scheduled for January 30. 

On December 12, Lazio produced a sensational second-half performance at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam to beat Ajax 3-1, and in doing so, they too secured their entry to the knockout round. Like Bilbao, I Biancocelesti are still unbeaten in the competition and currently lead the League Phase standings with 16 points. Both Lazio and Athletic Bilbao will be guaranteed a top-eight finish in the group (and direct qualification to the last 16) if they are able to take all three points in their next match. 

A further five teams secured their knockout stage berth on matchday six of the competition, including Anderlecht (14 points), Lyon (13), Eintracht Frankfurt (13), Galatasaray (12), and Manchester United (12). Paars-wit, Cimbom and the Red Devils round out the remaining teams with unbeaten records and will be aiming to maintain their form when they face Viktoria Plzen, Dynamo Kyiv and Rangers respectively in the next round this coming week. As it stands, Manchester United are the bookmakers’ favourite to go on to with this season’s Europa League, while Tottenham Hotspur, Athletic Bilbao, Lazio and Real Sociedad make up the top five according to the latest Europa League betting odds. 

Qualified Teams

  • Lazio - guaranteed to finish 1–16
  • Athletic Bilbao - guaranteed to finish 1–16
  • Anderlecht - guaranteed to finish 1–24
  • Eintracht Frankfurt - guaranteed to finish 1–24
  • Galatasaray - guaranteed to finish 1–24
  • Lyon - guaranteed to finish 1–24
  • Manchester United - guaranteed to finish 1–24

Which Teams Can Secure Knockout Qualification on Matchday 7?

Spurs

Unlike in the Champions League where three teams have already been eliminated from the knockout round qualification, only one team’s journey is guaranteed to end at the League Phase of the Europa League so far - Dynamo Kyiv. The Blue & Whites are the only team in Europe’s second-tier cup competition to lose all six of their matches to date, and with Elfsborg - the team who currently occupies the final playoff spot - currently on seven points, Dynamo will not be able to catch them even if they win their final two games. 

Three teams are currently on 11 points apiece after six rounds, and they will be able to guarantee their spot in the knockout stage if they win their matches this week. Those teams include Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and FCSB, all of whom have an identical record of three wins, two draws and one loss from their six games to date, and are four points above the playoff cutoff. Additionally, all three sides are on the road this week, with FCSB and Spurs set to face Qarabag and Hoffenheim respectively in early kickoffs of Thursday, while the Gers have a tricky trip to Old Trafford to face Man United later that night. 

Potential Qualification on Matchday 7

  • Rangers 
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • FCSB 


Elimination Confirmed 

  • Dynamo Kyiv

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