With the Champions League bracket set one day earlier, the UEFA Europa League has now earmarked its 24 teams to the knockout stage in the new-look format.
Just one club had confirmed a place straight to the Round of 16 heading into the final matchday, while the other seven were left until the last possible moment. Eight clubs earned those coveted byes, including two Premier League sides, while 16 others will have to get past a difficult knockout playoff round to reach such a lucrative stage.
Meanwhile, 12 clubs were left on the outside looking in, some agonizingly eliminated on just the thin margin of goal differential.
The Sporting News brings you through all the teams who have confirmed qualification to various stages, who is in contention to do so, and who has been eliminated entirely.
MORE: Teams qualified for Champions League knockouts |
Which teams have qualified for Europa League Round of 16?
Coming into the final matchday, only first-place Lazio are confirmed to have a top-eight place — and therefore a bye straight to the Round of 16. All seven other clubs clinched on the last possible day.
Seven different European leagues were represented in the top eight of the Europa League standings, with only the Premier League seeing multiple clubs with Manchester United and Tottenham. The other “big five” European leagues each had one, while Rangers from Scotland and Greek side Olympiacos rounded out the top eight.
Teams qualified to Europa League Round of 16
| Pos | Club | Nation | Possible Opponents |
| 1. | Lazio | Italy | Roma, Viktoria Plzen, Ferencvaros, Porto |
| 2. | Athletic Club | Spain | Roma, Viktoria Plzen, Ferencvaros, Porto |
| 3. | Man United | England | Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland |
| 4. | Tottenham | England | Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland |
| 5. | Eintracht Frankfurt | Germany | FCSB, Ajax, Union Saint-Gilloise, PAOK |
| 6. | Lyon | France | FCSB, Ajax, Union Saint-Gilloise, PAOK |
| 7. | Olympiacos | Greece | Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, Twente, Fenerbahce |
| 8. | Rangers | Scotland | Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, Twente, Fenerbahce |
Which teams have qualified for Europa League knockout playoff round?
Those finishing below the top eight are left to navigate the knockout playoff round if they are to reach the Round of 16.
Table positions 9-16 are seeded in the eventual bracket draw, while those finishing 17-24 are unseeded sides and will be matched up against a seeded club. Anyone finishing 25th and below was eliminated outright, without the chance to drop to the Europa Conference League as they were in the old format.
Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt just barely missed out on a Round of 16 bye thanks to goal differential, but can still be proud of their performance in a highly-regarded European competition. Anderlecht and FCSB also finished level on 14 points with the eighth-place side Rangers, but also had inferior goal differentials.
Ferencvaros of Hungary were the first club on the outside of the seeded positions, while Turkish side Fenerbahce were the final team to qualify.
Seeded teams qualified to the knockout playoff round
| Pos | Club | Nation | Possible Opponents |
| 9. | Bodo/Glimt | Norway | Twente, Fenerbahce |
| 10. | Anderlecht | Belgium | Twente, Fenerbahce |
| 11. | FCSB | Romania | Union Saint-Gilloise, PAOK |
| 12. | Ajax | Netherlands | Union Saint-Gilloise, PAOK |
| 13. | Real Sociedad | Spain | AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland |
| 14. | Galatasaray | Turkey | AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland |
| 15. | AS Roma | Italy | Ferencvaros, Porto |
| 16. | Viktoria Plzen | Czechia | Ferencvaros, Porto |
Unseeded teams qualified to the knockout playoff round
| Pos | Club | Nation | Possible Opponents |
| 17. | Ferencvaros | Hungary | AS Roma, Viktoria Plzen |
| 18. | Porto | Portugal | AS Roma, Viktoria Plzen |
| 19. | AZ Alkmaar | Netherlands | Real Sociedad, Galatasaray |
| 20. | FC Midtjylland | Denmark | Real Sociedad, Galatasaray |
| 21. | Union Saint-Gilloise | Belgium | FCSB, Ajax |
| 22. | PAOK | Greece | FCSB, Ajax |
| 23. | Twente | Netherlands | Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht |
| 24. | Fenerbahce | Turkey | Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht |
Teams eliminated from Europa League knockout qualification
Seven clubs have had their Europa League disappointment sealed before the final matchday, with no mathematical ability to climb back into a qualifying position.
They were joined by five more on the final day, with Portuguese side Braga the first team below the line thanks to one goal of differential. Swedish club IF Elfsborg was also hard done by, as they were also level on points with the last safe clubs but were eliminated on goal differential.
Unlike the Champions League, no team finished with zero points, as everyone at least managed some kind of results throughout their eight games. In fact, only two clubs finished without a single win, as everyone else at least emerged victorious from one match.
Eliminated from Europa League contention in league phase
| Pos | Club (Nation) | GP | Pts | W-L-D | GD |
| 25. | Braga (POR) | 8 | 10 | 3-1-4 | -3 |
| 26. | Elfsborg (SWE) | 8 | 10 | 3-1-4 | -5 |
| 27. | Hoffenheim (GER) | 8 | 9 | 2-3-3 | -3 |
| 28. | Besiktas (TUR) | 8 | 9 | 3-0-5 | -5 |
| 29. | Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) | 8 | 6 | 2-0-6 | -9 |
| 30. | Slavia Prague (CZE) | 8 | 5 | 1-2-5 | -4 |
| 31. | Malmo (SWE) | 8 | 5 | 1-2-5 | -7 |
| 32. | FK RFS (LAT) | 8 | 5 | 1-2-5 | -7 |
| 33. | Ludogorets (BUL) | 8 | 4 | 0-4-4 | -7 |
| 34. | Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) | 8 | 4 | 1-1-6 | -13 |
| 35. | OGC Nice (FRA) | 8 | 3 | 0-3-5 | -9 |
| 36. | Qarabag (AZB) | 8 | 3 | 1-0-7 | -14 |
