Porto to face Roma in Europa League playoff round (Full fixtures)

Former Europa League winners FC Porto have been drawn against Claudio Ranieri’s AS Roma in the standout fixture of the 2024–2025 UEFA Europa League knockout phase playoffs. 

The draw, held at the House of European Football in Nyon on January 31, 2025, saw former Spanish player Aritz Aduriz assisting UEFA Deputy General Secretary Giorgio Marchetti in determining the matchups.

Porto, champions of the competition in 2011 and winners of its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, in 2003, will host the first leg on February 13 before traveling to Rome for the return fixture a week later.

Other key ties from the play-off round include Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce taking on Belgian side Anderlecht, while Ajax will battle their neighbors Union Saint-Gilloise.

The winners of these matchups will advance to the round of 16, where they will join the top eight teams from the Europa League’s league phase.

Meanwhile, English clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who have already secured their spots in the last 16, will be watching closely as they await their potential opponents.

Lazio finished on top of the standings, just ahead of Athletic Bilbao, with United and Spurs coming third and fourth respectively.

With the draw for the last 16 based on a pre-determined bracket, the two Premier League sides know they will face either the winners of the play-off tie between AZ Alkmaar and Galatasaray, or that between Midtjylland of Denmark and Real Sociedad.

Spurs have already played AZ and Galatasaray in the league phase, beating the Dutch club 1-0 at home and losing 3-2 to the Turkish giants in Istanbul.

United played Galatasaray in the Champions League group stage last season, taking just one point from a possible six.

Real Sociedad are familiar opponents for the Old Trafford club: they met in the Champions League group stage in 2013/14, in the Europa League last 32 in 2021, and in the Europa League group stage in 2022.

Rangers, the 2022 Europa League runners-up, scraped into eighth place in the league phase and can face FC Twente of the Netherlands, Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, Fenerbahce or Anderlecht in the last 16.

The draw for the last 16 will take place on February 21, with the ties being played in the first half of March.

This season’s Europa League final will be played in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21.

Europa League Knockout Playoff Draw

FC Twente v Bodo/Glimt

Union SG v Ajax Amsterdam

AZ Alkmaar v Galatasaray

Ferencvaros v Viktoria Plzen

Fenerbahce v Anderlecht

PAOK v Steaua Bucharest

Midtjylland v Real Sociedad

Porto v AS Roma

Dates for fixtures

Playoff first leg: Feb. 13

Playoff second leg: Feb. 20

Last 16 draw: Feb. 21