Another packed Thursday brought fresh twists to the Europa League and Europa Conference League. With 36 matches played across the two competitions, matchday 6 significantly reshaped the europa league table after matchday 6 and clarified which teams are firmly on course for the round of 16 — and which are running out of time.
French clubs continue to set the pace, Aston Villa keep winning everywhere they go, and several traditional European names now find themselves fighting simply to survive.
Aston Villa win in Basel despite Shaqiri’s assist
Aston Villa confirmed their status as one of the most consistent teams of the Europa League 2025 campaign with a 2–1 away win over Basel.
The English side opened the scoring when Evann Guessand forced the ball in from close range after a corner. Basel thought they had equalised midway through the first half through a powerful Leo Leroy strike, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The hosts did get their goal on 34 minutes. Xherdan Shaqiri delivered a precise cross, and Flavius Daniliuc capitalised after a mistake from goalkeeper Marco Bizot to make it 1–1 at half-time. Early in the second half, however, Youri Tielemans restored Villa’s lead with a calm, low finish from outside the box.
The victory strengthened Aston Villa’s position near the top of the europa league standings. It was also their eighth straight win in all competitions, with 14 victories in their last 16 matches — form that fully supports any prediction Aston Villa to reach europa league round of 16.
Roma dominate Celtic in Glasgow
Roma produced one of the most convincing away performances of the round, beating Celtic 3–0 at Celtic Park. Despite both clubs being regulars in European competitions, this was their first official meeting.
Celtic’s night unravelled early when Liam Scales headed into his own net from a corner in the sixth minute. Evan Ferguson doubled the lead from a low cross just before the half-hour mark and added his second in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Celtic’s misery deepened when Arne Engels missed a penalty on 45+4, hitting the post. In the second half, goals by Kelechi Iheanacho and Leon Bailey were both disallowed for offside, but Roma never looked threatened.
The result boosts Roma’s europa league 2025 results and keeps them firmly in contention for a seeded playoff spot, while Celtic remain in danger of slipping further down the table.
Real Betis score three in seven minutes in Zagreb
Real Betis delivered a devastating first-half blitz to beat Dinamo Zagreb 3–1 away from home, with all decisive moments coming in a short spell before the break.
On 31 minutes, Sergi Domínguez turned the ball into his own net. Just three minutes later, Rodrigo Riquelme doubled the lead, and on 38 minutes Antony produced a clever chip over the goalkeeper after Dinamo lost possession outside the box.
Dinamo pulled one back late in the second half through Niko Galešić, but the damage had already been done.
It was the second time Betis have scored three first-half goals in European competition, matching their 2022 achievement against Zenit in Saint Petersburg. With 14 points after six games, Real Betis position in europa league table confirms them as one of the strongest sides of the league phase.
Other key Europa League results
Several other matches shaped the europa league matchday 6 results and the qualification race:
- Nottingham Forest won 2–1 away at Utrecht, with all goals coming after the break. Arnaud Kalimuendo opened the scoring, Mike van der Hoorn equalised from a set piece, and Igor Jesus scored the winner in the 88th minute.
- Midtjylland edged Genk 1–0 thanks to Cho Gue-sung’s close-range finish. It was their fifth win in six matches, underlining their excellent europa league 2025 campaign.
- Ferencváros defeated Rangers 2–1 at home, despite conceding first to a spectacular overhead kick by Bojan Miovski. Efficient finishing saw the Hungarian side convert two of their three shots on target.
- Young Boys beat Lille 1–0 despite both teams finishing with ten men. Darian Males scored the winner, while penalties, red cards and late drama dominated the contest.
- VfB Stuttgart crushed Maccabi Tel Aviv 4–1. Josha Vagnoman scored on his birthday for the second year in a row in European competition, a rare feat previously achieved only by George Weah.
- Nice lost their sixth match in six games, falling 0–1 to Braga. They remain the only team without a single point and have now gone 18 consecutive Europa League matches without a win — an unwanted club record.
- Ludogorets Razgrad and PAOK shared an extraordinary 3–3 draw in Bulgaria, producing 31 shots, six goals and more than 100 minutes of football due to VAR reviews.
- Red Star Belgrade beat Sturm Graz 1–0 away, despite a lack of accuracy from both sides.
- Lyon defeated Go Ahead Eagles 2–1, scoring all goals inside the opening 11 minutes and extending their lead at the top of the table.
- Bologna continued their excellent form with a 2–1 win over Celta Vigo, inspired by a Federico Bernardeschi brace — the club’s first European double since 1999.
- SC Freiburg beat Red Bull Salzburg 1–0 after the visitors were reduced to ten men.
- Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen played out the only 0–0 draw of the round, despite the Czech side playing more than an hour with ten men.
- Fenerbahçe dismantled Brann 4–0 away from home. Anderson Talisca scored a hat-trick, and Domenico Tedesco’s team extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches.
Europa League table after matchday 6
After six rounds, the europa league table shows a clear structure:
- Direct round of 16 qualifiers: Lyon, Midtjylland, Aston Villa, Real Betis, SC Freiburg and Ferencváros lead the standings.
- Seeded playoff contenders: Roma, Stuttgart, Nottingham Forest, Fenerbahçe, Bologna and Viktoria Plzen remain well placed.
- Unseeded playoff zone: Teams like PAOK, Celta Vigo, Lille and Young Boys are still alive but under pressure.
- Eliminated sides: Nice are officially out, while Rangers, Malmö, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Utrecht are all on the brink.
This reflects the impact of the europa league 2025 new format, where consistency across the league phase is rewarded more than ever.
What’s next: decisive January fixtures
The final two rounds of the league phase will be played on 22 and 29 January. Matchday 7 already offers several standout fixtures:
- Fenerbahçe vs Aston Villa
- Roma vs VfB Stuttgart
- PAOK vs Real Betis
- Celta Vigo vs Lille
- Braga vs Nottingham Forest
- Bologna vs Celtic
- Young Boys vs Lyon
With qualification, seeding and momentum all at stake, the race toward the europa league round of 16 is only getting more intense — and the margins for error are now razor-thin.
Europa League table after matchday 6: leaders, chasers and survival fight
After six rounds of the Europa League league phase, the table clearly shows three distinct tiers forming ahead of the final two matchdays. Lyon, Midtjylland and Aston Villa lead the standings with 15 points each, confirming their status as the most consistent teams of the Europa League 2025/26 season. All three clubs have already secured direct qualification to the round of 16, benefiting from the new Europa League format that rewards early dominance in the league phase.
Just behind them, Real Betis, SC Freiburg and Ferencváros sit on 14 points, while Braga and Porto complete the top eight with 13 points each. These teams are currently in seeded positions for the knockout rounds, meaning they are well placed not only to advance, but also to avoid the strongest opponents in the first playoff stage. The margin, however, remains extremely tight, with goal difference already playing a decisive role.
The middle of the table is even more congested. VfB Stuttgart and Roma (12 points), followed by Nottingham Forest, Fenerbahçe and Bologna (11 points), are all fighting for favorable playoff seeding. A single win or loss in matchday 7 or 8 could move any of these teams several positions up or down the europa league table. Clubs such as Viktoria Plzen, Panathinaikos and Genk remain very much in contention, but cannot afford any mistakes.
Further down, the pressure intensifies. PAOK, Celta Vigo, Lille and Young Boys are still inside the knockout zone but face a difficult path, while teams like Dinamo Zagreb, Basel and FCSB are now dependent on perfect results and favorable outcomes elsewhere. At the bottom, Nice are officially eliminated after six straight defeats, highlighting one of the most disappointing Europa League campaigns in recent years.
With two rounds remaining in the league phase, the Europa League 2025 standings underline one key reality: qualification is no longer about reputation, but about consistency. Every point, goal difference and head-to-head scenario will matter as the race toward the round of 16 and the knockout phase play-offs reaches its decisive stage.
