Nottingham Forest and Celtic have discovered their opponents for the UEFA Europa League play-off round, with both clubs aiming to book a place in the competition’s last 16.

The draw also sets up a potential clash involving Nigerian internationals Ola Aina and Victor Osimhen, adding extra intrigue to the knockout ties.

Celtic Draw Stuttgart

According to a post on the Europa League’s official X handle on Friday, Celtic will face German Bundesliga side Stuttgart in the two-legged play-offs.

The Scottish champions had been in contention to meet Ferencváros, managed by former Celtic striker Robbie Keane, but were instead paired with Stuttgart. The first leg will be played at Celtic Park, with the return fixture scheduled for Germany.

The winner of the tie will advance to the round of 16, where they will face either Porto—who defeated Celtic in the 2003 UEFA Cup final—or Braga, depending on the outcome of the draw.

Celtic secured their play-off place after a 4–2 victory over Utrecht, finishing 21st in the league-phase standings.

Forest Face Fenerbahçe

Nottingham Forest were drawn against Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in what is expected to be one of the most competitive ties of the play-off round. Forest had also been in the running to face Panathinaikos, but the draw paired them with the Istanbul-based side.

The Premier League club finished 13th in the league phase following an emphatic 4–0 win over Ferencváros, a result that earned them home advantage in the second leg. If Forest progress, they will face either Midtjylland or Real Betis in the last 16.

The tie could see Forest defender Ola Aina come up against Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, adding a Nigerian rivalry to the European contest.

Play-off Schedule

The two-legged Europa League play-off ties will be played on 19 and 26 February, with the higher-ranked team hosting the second leg.

Europa League Play-off Draw

• Ludogorets vs Ferencváros
• Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzen
• GNK Dinamo Zagreb vs Genk
• PAOK vs Celta Vigo
• Celtic vs Stuttgart
• Fenerbahçe vs Nottingham Forest
• SK Brann vs Bologna
• Lille vs Red Star Belgrade

Teams Already Through to the Last 16

The following clubs secured automatic qualification after finishing in the top eight of the league phase:
Lyon
Aston Villa
Midtjylland
Real Betis
Porto
Braga
Freiburg
Roma

Europa League Final

The 2026 UEFA Europa League final will be staged on 20 May at Beşiktaş Park, Istanbul, Turkey.