The Europa League is UEFA’s second prestigious club tournament after the Champions League, and it has always delivered excitement across Europe. The last edition saw Tottenham end their long-awaited trophy drought, and we could see another surprise story this season. Join us as we take a look at the 2025/26 Europa League season predictions and what to expect this year.
The UEFA Europa League season kicked off with qualifying rounds in July, but the competition proper begins with the league stage in September. The knockout phase follows in February next year, and the grand final will take place at BeĹźiktaĹź Stadium in Istanbul.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | UEFA Europa League Season 2025/26 |
| ⚽️ Venues: | Stadiums Across Europe |
| 🗓️ League Phase Dates: | 24th September 2025 – 29th January 2026 |
| 🗓️ 1st Round Play-off Dates: | 19th & 26th February 2026 |
| 🗓️ Knockout Stage Dates: | 12th March – 20th May 2026 |
The 2025/26 season will feature a 36-team single league phase, replacing the traditional group stage. Each team plays eight matches against opponents from different pots, and the top eight advance directly to the Round of 16. Teams ranked 9-24 enter the playoffs, while the rest are eliminated. Unlike in previous format, teams knocked out of the Champions League will not drop to the Europa League, which heightens the competition.
The UEFA Europa League, previously known as the UEFA Cup, is a major competition in Europe and a special one for most teams outside the elite clubs. Not only does the winner take the trophy home, but there’s also a spot in the next season’s UEFA Champions League and a chance to compete in the UEFA Super Cup. Tottenham Hotspur had a poor outing in the Premier League but secured a UEFA Champions League spot after winning the Europa League last season.
Sevilla holds the record for most Europa League titles with seven trophies in their cabinet. With the new format, we’d expect fairer competition in the Europa League and more balanced fixtures.
The Europa League has seen intense finals in the last few years, with three of the last five decided by penalty shootouts, and the most recent one decided by a lone goal. With the UEL format explained, let’s take a look at the Europa League 2025 League stage preview.
As we approach the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League season, the betting markets are heating up with exciting opportunities for punters. Based on the latest football betting odds, here are the top teams with their current odds to win the trophy.
We saw two English teams in the Europa League final last season, and this season, two Premier League teams are among the top five favorites. Let’s take a look at each team’s prospects and also the Europa League 2025 League stage preview.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are the favorites for this season’s Europa League, and they were one of the teams that showed great promise in the Champions League last term. The Clarets and Blues made it to the knockouts of the UCL, but lost to PSG 5-4 on aggregate. Having Unai Emery is an advantage as he has won this trophy a record four times.
AS Roma had a good run in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League last term, but a red card in the last-16 dampened their hopes as they lost 4-3 on aggregate to Athletic Bilbao. The Giallorossi are back this season with a very exciting team and are the second favorites on the bookies for UEL to win the trophy.
Real Betis are the only Spanish team in the top five favorites, and they are one team to look out for in this season’s competition. They came close to winning their first European trophy last term, but lost 4-1 to Chelsea in the final of the Conference League. Real Betis were able to retain the services of Antony, and they can challenge for the title this term.
FC Porto would be playing in the Europa League this term after finishing third in the Portuguese League last season. Head coach Francesco Farioli will be in charge of the team after completing his move from Ajax this summer. Porto lost to Roma in the Europa League’s Round of 32 last season, and they are back as a top-five team at 13.00 (12/1).
Nottingham Forest were exceptional in the Premier League last term, and they were alive in the title race until the last few months. Despite their efforts, Nuno EspĂrito Santo’s team couldn’t get a top-four finish, but settled for seventh place, which earned them a place among Europe’s elites. Forest are favorites and will be eying a third European trophy, while their 25/26 Europa League odds for the victory stand at 14.00 (13/1).
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Aston Villa had PSG on the ropes last season, and the Parisiens eliminated them by just a goal in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Unai Emery has built a decent team, and they retained Ollie Watkins for the upcoming season. They are a very balanced team among the top favorites, and with the traditional big boys not in this competition, they have a very good chance of winning the Europa League. Unai Emery has won four titles with two different clubs, with his most recent trophy coming in the 2020/21 season with Villarreal. Jadon Sancho is also joining the team to provide good cover in attack, and with a very experienced manager, this team has very good chances to win the Europa League. Aston Villa is the best team to back as winners on the betting picks for the Europa League 25/26.
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There’s not much hype around Fenerbahce this season, and they should be making the top five favorites with the kind of team they have. The Turkish side has struggled recently, but they will be heading into the new Europa League season under a new manager. Fenerbahce initially reached the Champions League qualifiers, but they lost narrowly by a goal margin to Benfica, and have a better chance in this competition. The Yellow Canaries have Jhon Duran in attack and recently signed Marco Asensio from PSG. Not only do they have a great attack, with Milan Škriniar in defense, but this team can go all the way to win the Europa League. Fenerbahce is a dark horse here and is a great option for 25/26 UEL betting predictions.
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Bologna has become a very decent team in the last few seasons, and they ended their trophy drought with a Coppa Italia win last season, beating Milan 1-0. They missed out on the top five favorites by a narrow margin and gained some Champions League experience, although they didn’t make the playoffs. Bologna’s manager, Vincenzo Italiano, is one of the exciting managers around, and there are not many teams better than them in this competition. A top eight is a very decent bet on Bologna, and they should be able to qualify for the next phase with ease. Punters looking to bet on the league stage 2025 UEL should consider Bologna at 2.10 (11/10).
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Stuttgart were just one point away from reaching the playoffs of the UEFA Champions League last season, and they are another team that’s going under the radar. The Swabians have started the season in good form, although they lost narrowly to Bayern in the Super Cup. Sebastian Hoeness has a win rate of over 55% with Stuttgart and beat Juventus home and away in the Champions League last term. With a decent team and very good backups, Stuttgart has more than enough to finish in the top eight, and this is a good pick on UEL 25/26 betting tips.
The Europa League is back, and there are a lot of exciting teams like Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Real Betis this term. Spurs were winners last season, and we could see another team end their long title drought. Our preview is out, and you can make profits from the new season by using our expert betting tips.
