Lazio clinched their place in the last 16 of the Europa League with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday. Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt and Athletic Club are on the verge of joining them, while the race for the remaining qualification spots remains incredibly tight.
Lazio Dominate to Secure Knockout Berth
Goals from Mario Gila, Mattia Zaccagni, and Valentin Castellanos sealed an impressive win for Marco Baroni’s side, putting them three points and eight goals clear at the top of their group. This all but guarantees them the top spot, meaning they will skip the play-off round and advance directly to the last 16.
Frankfurt & Athletic Club Close to Progressing
Eintracht Frankfurt
The German side defeated Ferencvaros 2-0, taking them to 16 points and putting them in second place. They are now almost certain to secure automatic qualification.
Athletic Club
Despite a 4-1 loss at Besiktas on Wednesday, Athletic Club remain in third place with 16 points. Their strong early performances should be enough to see them through to the next round.
Tight Battle for Top-Eight Finish
With only one match left in the group phase, six teams are separated by just one point in the fight for the remaining top-eight spots, which would allow them to skip the play-off round.
Teams Battling for the Top Eight
🔹 Lyon
🔹 Tottenham Hotspur
🔹 Anderlecht
🔹 FCSB
🔹 Galatasaray
🔹 Bodo/Glimt
These clubs sit between fifth and tenth place, making the final round of fixtures crucial for securing a direct route to the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Viktoria Plzen stayed in the race by beating Anderlecht 2-0, while Olympiacos remain in contention, sitting one point behind in 11th place.
Porto’s Qualification Hopes Take a Hit
One of the biggest shocks of the round was Porto’s 1-0 defeat at home to Olympiacos. The Portuguese giants now sit 25th, one point outside the play-off spots.
They are behind Besiktas, who currently hold the final qualification place but could still be overtaken by FC Twente when the two teams face off in the final round.
Roma in Danger After Defeat
🔹 Roma suffered a 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar, putting them just four places above the elimination zone.
🔹 Their qualification is now in jeopardy, with a must-win match coming up next week.
What’s Next?
🔹 The final round of matches will determine who secures a top-eight finish and who drops into the play-off round.
🔹 Several big clubs, including Porto and Roma, face elimination if they don’t secure positive results.
With everything still wide open, the last round of fixtures promises to deliver thrilling drama as teams battle for a place in the Europa League knockout stages.
🔥 Which teams do you think will make it through? Drop your predictions below! ⬇️
