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Celtic Draw Stuttgart, Forest Face Fenerbahçe in Europa League Play-Offs

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1 month ago

January 30, 2026

Europa League play-offs draw sees Celtic face Stuttgart and Nottingham Forest paired with Fenerbahçe ahead of February ties

Celtic and Nottingham Forest have learned their opponents for the two-legged Europa League play-offs, as both clubs bid to secure places in the round of 16 of the competition.

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According to a post on the Europa League’s official X handle on Friday, Celtic were drawn against German Bundesliga side Stuttgart, while Nottingham Forest will face Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.

The Scottish champions had also been in contention to face Ferencváros, managed by 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 progress to the last 16, where they will meet either Porto—who defeated Celtic in the 2003 UEFA Cup final—or Braga, depending on the outcome of their play-off clash.

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

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, were drawn against Fenerbahçe after also being linked with a potential tie against Panathinaikos.

Forest finished 13th in the league phase following a dominant 4–0 win over Ferencváros, earning them home advantage in the second leg.

If Forest advance, they will face either Midtjylland or Real Betis in the round of 16.

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

Other confirmed play-off fixtures include Ludogorets vs Ferencváros, Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzen, GNK Dinamo vs Genk, PAOK vs Celta, SK Brann vs Bologna, Lille vs Red Star Belgrade, and Celtic vs Stuttgart.

Teams already qualified directly for the last 16 after finishing in the top eight of the league phase include Lyon, Aston Villa, Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg, and Roma.