The UEFA Europa League group stage has come to a close after eight rounds. This is the first season of the competition to be organised using a new ranking system. The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16; the teams ranked 9th to 24th will compete in a play-off round, where the winners will advance to the round of 16.
Lazio finished top of the table despite losing their first game. Athletic Club, Man United and Tottenham complete the top four.
The play-offs will be played in a home-and-away format. Teams ranked 9 to 16 will be seeded and will face a team ranked 17 to 24. In principle, the seeded team will play the second leg at home.
Potential opponents are predetermined by pairing up positions. For example, teams ranked 9th or 10th will face teams ranked 23rd or 24th; teams ranked 11th or 12th will be drawn against teams ranked 21st or 22nd, etc.
Teams can face opponents from the same association in the knockout stages. Clubs can also face opponents they met in the group stage. The two-legged play-off matches will take place on 13 February and 20 February.
Teams directly into the round of 16: Athletic Club, Frankfurt, Lazio, Lyon, Man United, Olympiacos, Rangers, Tottenham
Seeded teams in the play-off round: Ajax, Anderlecht, Bodo/Glimt, FCSB, Galatasaray, Real Sociedad, Roma, Viktoria Plzen
Unseeded teams in the play-off round: AZ Alkmaar, Fenerbahce, Ferencvaros, Midtjylland, PAOK, Porto, Twente, Union SG
Eliminated teams: Besiktas, Braga, Dynamo Kyiv, Elfsborg, Hoffenheim, Ludogorets, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Malmo, Nice, Qarabag, RFS, Slavia Praha
