Aston Villa, Celtic, Rangers, and other British and Irish clubs have learned their opposition for next season’s Europa League. Now, they are looking forward and preparing for the upcoming tournaments! With the league-phase campaign set to kick off in a few weeks time, Saturday’s draw has left passionate Warriors fans with an electrifying prospect. Teams from across Europe will compete against each other and fight for the chance to compete in the knockout stages of the prestigious tournament.
Champions Aston Villa face the toughest of trips, with journeys to Feyenoord in the Netherlands and Fenerbahce in Turkey. Beyond their league-phase schedule, the rest of 2024 promises to be equally exciting. RB Salzburg, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Young Boys will all have to visit London, but Basel will be an away test to start. Villa’s other away match will come in a tricky tie against Bologna but they, too, will head to Go Ahead Eagles. On the pitch, the club’s fairytale journey continues as they prepare to welcome Dutch side AZ Alkmaar to Selhurst Park.
Celtic and Rangers Prepare for Tough Matches
It means Celtic’s draw is one of the toughest around, with European heavyweights Roma and Feyenoord in the mix. The Scottish giants will face both Braga and Sturm Graz on home turf. They are set to visit Red Star Belgrade and FC Midtjylland in Eastern Europe. On top of that, their schedule features matches with Utrecht and Bologna left, both of whom pose significant challenges.
In League phase, Rangers will face a formidable challenge from their opponents. The Greens will welcome Roma and Braga, but will need to make the trip to the likes of Porto and Ferencvaros. They will need to have a strong home showing against Ludogorets and Sturm Graz. Afterwards, they will complete the group stage on the road with matches at Genk and Brann. Celtic and Rangers’ rich history in European competitions has brought plenty of pride to the country. This history makes their upcoming fixtures all the more exciting.
Other Teams from Britain and Ireland
Aberdeen are likely to challenge strongly in the Europa League group stage too, with Shakhtar Donetsk visiting Pittodrie and the Dons traveling to Sparta Prague. Specifically, they’ll be taking on Strasbourg and AEK Athens in two-legged, open-aggregate round-of-32 away matches. On home turf, they’ll welcome FC Noah and AEK Larnaca.
Nottingham Forest themselves will arrive in the tournament looking to make a lasting impression. Their challengers are Porto at home — with a challenging away trip to Real Betis as well. Then, they will welcome Ferencvaros and FC Midtjylland to San Mames. At the same time, they’ll be going away to play Braga, Sturm Graz, Malmo, and Utrecht.
Crystal Palace’s group includes AZ Alkmaar at home, plus Dynamo Kyiv on the road. In addition, they will welcome KuPS Kuopio and make visits to Strasbourg and AEK Larnaca. The club will round out their group stage with a home match against Shelbourne.
Shamrock Rovers’ first tie will be at home to none other than Shakhtar Donetsk, with an away match at Sparta Prague on the cards. Starting out, they’ll welcome Celje then hit the road against AEK Athens, Hamrun Spartans, and Breidablik.
Key Dates for the Europa League
The UEFA Europa League group stage is scheduled to begin with Matchday 1 on September 24th & 25th, 2025. The next Matchday 2 comes on October 2, 2025, with Matchday 3 following on October 23, 2025. Those teams that move on to the knockout phase play-offs will face off on February 19 and 26, 2026. Round of 16 matches are scheduled for March 12 and 19, 2026.
The anticipation builds as teams prepare to showcase their talent on an international stage, culminating in the final scheduled for May 27, 2026, in Leipzig. A host of British and Irish clubs are chasing glory this season. Football fans will be treated to a thrilling tournament as these teams compete to achieve glory in one of Europe’s most coveted competitions.
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