Thursday night once again belonged to the Europa League and Europa Conference League. Thirty-six matches across the two competitions pushed the 2025/26 season into its decisive stretch, and the picture of who will reach the Europa League round of 16 is finally starting to clear up. For fans following the complete europa league 2025 schedule and europa league league phase 2025 results, this was the most revealing matchday so far.
Aston Villa survive hostile trip to Bern
Aston Villa are building one of the most impressive stories of the Europa League 2025 campaign. Unai Emery’s team beat Young Boys 2–1 away, with forward Donyell Malen scoring both goals in a wild first half. After heading in the opener from a Youri Tielemans cross, Malen celebrated near the away sector – and was immediately hit by cups thrown from the Young Boys stand, suffering a cut on his head.
The Dutchman shook it off, stayed on the pitch and punished the Swiss crowd again fifteen minutes later with a composed second goal. The home supporters responded by ripping out seats and clashing with stewards, forcing the referee to briefly stop the game. On the pitch Young Boys improved after the break, pulled one late goal back and pushed until the final whistle, but Villa closed the game out professionally.
With four wins from five, Aston Villa europa league 2025 results now read like those of a genuine title contender. They sit on 12 points and, given their form, the prediction Aston Villa to reach europa league round of 16 looks more realistic with every week. Young Boys remain stuck in the lower half of the league-phase table and will need a strong finish if the popular Young Boys europa league 2025 fixtures against the likes of Lyon and VfB Stuttgart are to mean anything in terms of qualification.
Porto destroy bottom-side Nice in 19 seconds
If there was one performance that summed up the gulf between serious contenders and struggling clubs, it was Porto’s 3–0 demolition of Nice. The Portuguese side took the lead after just 19 seconds: a direct attack, low cross from the right by Pepe Aquino and a sharp finish from Gabri Veiga. The Spanish midfielder doubled his tally before half-time, and Samu Aghahowa converted a second-half penalty to complete the rout.
Porto needed only six shots to score three times, while Nice – despite seven attempts – never looked close to a comeback. Porto europa league 2025 results now include three wins and a draw from five matches, leaving the Dragões well placed in the europa league table after matchday 5 and strengthening the prediction Porto to reach europa league round of 16.
Nice, meanwhile, are the only team still on zero points, with a goal difference of 4–12. Nice europa league 2025 results make grim reading, and the club is in real danger of finishing rock bottom despite a squad that should be competitive at this level.
Roma hand Midtjylland their first defeat
Midtjylland came into the week as the only team with a perfect record, but Roma changed that with a 2–1 win in Denmark. Gian Piero Gasperini has quickly imposed his aggressive, vertical style in Rome, and it showed from the opening minutes. Full-back Zeki Çelik drove down the wing and found Nél El Aynaoui, who volleyed in his first goal for the club after arriving from Lens in the summer.
Roma controlled long stretches and were rewarded late on when substitute Stephan El Shaarawy scored his first goal since January. Midtjylland pulled one back through Paulinho Silva and pushed hard in the closing minutes, but Roma held on. It was a fourth straight win in all competitions for the Italians, and it keeps the Roma europa league 2025 campaign firmly on track for the knockout rounds.
For the Danes, this was a reality check. Midtjylland europa league 2025 results still place them among the leaders on 12 points, but the aura of invincibility has gone, and fans are already looking ahead to the crucial Brann vs Midtjylland europa league 2025 score prediction as the Norwegians chase them in the standings.
Real Betis win but lose Isco to freak injury
Real Betis beat Utrecht 2–1, but the story of the night was a double injury in the second minute. Isco, starting his first match since May, collided awkwardly with team-mate Sofyan Amrabat when both challenged for the same ball. Both left the pitch hurt, with the playmaker in visible pain after another setback in his attempted renaissance.
Even without their creative hub, Betis were ruthless. Winger Antony pressed aggressively and stole the ball before setting up Cucho Hernández for the opener. Ez Abde added a second just after half-time. Utrecht scored once from the halfway line through Miguel Rodríguez and had another effort ruled out, but it was too little, too late.
With eleven points from five matches, Real Betis position in europa league table is inside the top eight. Their mix of experience and attacking flair means the prediction Real Betis to reach europa league round of 16 looks increasingly safe. Utrecht, on the other hand, remain near the bottom with four defeats and are now treating the upcoming Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest europa league 2025 result as their last chance to revive the season.
Lyon and Lille fly the French flag; Ludogorets’ hat-trick hero
Elsewhere in France, Lyon produced one of the performances of the night with a 6–0 destruction of Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Corentin Tolisso scored a rare hat-trick – including two powerful headers – while playmaker Pavel Schultz delivered two assists. Lyon now have 12 points and the best goal difference in the competition. No wonder searches for Lyon europa league 2025 fixtures and Lyon europa league stats this season are spiking; they currently set the pace in the race for the top eight.
Lille were almost as convincing, beating Dinamo Zagreb 4–0 with Hamza Igamane (one goal and one assist) and Hákon Haraldsson (two assists) running the game. Lille europa league 2025 results put them on nine points and in a strong position heading into a crucial double-header later in the campaign, including Celta Vigo vs Lille europa league 2025 score prediction in January.
In Bulgaria, Ludogorets raced into a 3–0 lead over Celta Vigo thanks to a hat-trick from midfielder Petar Stanić, who converted two penalties and now leads the competition scoring charts with five goals. Celta struck twice late but ran out of time. Ludogorets Razgrad europa league 2025 campaign has been inconsistent, yet this win moves them into the mix for places 9–16.
Brann frustrate PAOK, Rangers and Braga share points
Brann and PAOK produced one of the tensest matches of the evening. Norwegian side Brann missed a first-half penalty thanks to an excellent save from PAOK goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka. The Greeks then took the lead via Luka Ivanušec, only for Brann to equalise in the 89th minute through Emil Kornvig. With that point, Brann europa league 2025 results keep them in mid-table, while PAOK europa league 2025 fixtures now look trickier with Real Betis, Lyon and others finding form.
Rangers and Braga also finished 1–1 in a fiery contest. James Tavernier scored from the spot for the Scots, Rodrigo Zalazar was sent off for Braga, yet the Portuguese side still found an equaliser through Gabi Martínez. A late red card for Mohamed Diomande levelled the numbers. For both clubs the draw is more valuable to Braga, who finally claimed their first point of the europe league matchday 5 2025 results.
Bologna, Stuttgart and Genk impress
Bologna are quietly one of the most in-form teams in Europe. Their 4–1 win over Salzburg extended an unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions. Thijs Dallinga, Federico Bernardeschi and Riccardo Orsolini all found the net after the break, giving Bologna europa league 2025 results that firmly support the prediction Bologna to reach europa league round of 16.
Stuttgart brushed aside Go Ahead Eagles 4–0 with a double from Jamie Leweling, while Genk edged Basel 2–1 thanks to goals from Oh Hyeon-gyu and Konstantinos Karetsas. Those victories keep VfB Stuttgart europa league 2025 campaign and Genk europa league 2025 campaign alive in the chase pack just behind the leaders.
Red Star’s heroic ten men, Celtic’s overdue away win
Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) achieved one of the most notable results of the night, beating FCSB 1–0 despite playing over an hour with ten men after centre-back Franklin Tebo Uchenna was dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Bruno Duarte scored the only goal early in the second half and had a second ruled out late on. With this win, Red Star Belgrade europa league 2025 results push them towards mid-table safety and keep their hopes of a top-16 finish alive.
Celtic, meanwhile, finally ended a long European away drought with a 3–1 victory at Feyenoord. Ayase Ueda put the Dutch side in front, but Reo Hatate produced a superb 1+1 performance as Celtic overturned the deficit. Goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther struggled under pressure and gifted the second goal; Feyenoord never recovered. For Celtic fans tracking Celtic europa league 2025 fixtures and Celtic europa league stats this season, this was their first away European win since November 2021. The result also spices up the future Celtic vs Roma europa league 2025 result, with both teams now firmly in contention.
Snapshot of the Europa League table after matchday 5
While the full league-phase table for 36 clubs is dense, a few clear tiers have emerged in the europa league table after matchday 5:
• The pace-setters: Lyon, Midtjylland and Aston Villa lead the way on 12 points, with SC Freiburg, Real Betis and Ferencvaros just behind on 10–11 points. These clubs are on track for direct qualification to the round of 16.
• The chasing pack: Porto, Genk, Celta Vigo, Lille, Stuttgart, Viktoria Plzen, Panathinaikos, Roma and Nottingham Forest are clustered around 8–10 points. Small swings in europa league matchday 6 2025 results could send any of them into the top eight or down towards the playoff positions.
• The playoff battlers: PAOK, Bologna, Brann, Fenerbahce, Celtic, Crvena zvezda, Dinamo Zagreb, Basel and Ludogorets are hovering around the mid-table zone where every point matters for seeding and for avoiding elimination.
• The strugglers: Young Boys, Go Ahead Eagles, Sturm, Salzburg, Feyenoord, FCSB, Utrecht, Rangers, Malmö, Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Nice occupy the bottom third. Only Nice are still without a victory, but several others now need a perfect finish to stay in the competition.
For fans who want a broader picture, this is part of the new europa league 2025 new format, where a single league phase replaces the traditional groups, and the complete europa league 2025 results determine both direct qualifiers and playoff pairings.
Europa Conference League: coaching changes and surprise leaders
The Europa Conference League also delivered drama. Rayo Vallecano lost 1–2 to Slovan Bratislava despite taking the lead from a long assist by goalkeeper Augusto Batalla. Strasbourg mounted a comeback to beat Crystal Palace 2–1, Omonia shocked Dynamo Kyiv 2–0 – a result that cost Oleksandr Shovkovskyi his job – and Raków’s Lamine Diaby scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Rapid Vienna.
Sigma Olomouc continued their impressive run by beating former leaders Celje 2–1, while Universitatea Craiova upset Mainz 1–0 and AEK Athens edged Fiorentina by the same scoreline. After four rounds, Samsunspor, Strasbourg, Celje, Shakhtar and several others lead the race for the Conference League knockout spots, showing once again that surprise teams in europa league 2025 and its sister competition are more common than ever.
Matchday 6 will finalise the league-phase standings and is already attracting heavy search interest. Among the most important games:
• Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest: After their defeat to Betis, Utrecht are desperate. Many fans are already looking up Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest europa league 2025 score prediction and Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest schedule on 11 December 2025, knowing this could decide who stays in the competition.
• Stuttgart vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv: VfB are in excellent form, and the upcoming VfB Stuttgart vs Maccabi Tel Aviv europa league 2025 score prediction largely favours the Germans. Maccabi must improve dramatically after heavy recent defeats.
• Nice vs Braga: This is effectively a last chance for Nice. Supporters are wondering not just about Nice vs Braga europa league 2025 result but whether the French side can finally produce a complete performance at home.
• Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Betis: A showdown between a resurgent Croatian giant and one of Spain’s most entertaining sides. Searches for Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Betis europa league 2025 score prediction and cards and goals prediction for Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Betis reflect how finely balanced this encounter looks.
• Celta Vigo vs Bologna and Basel vs Aston Villa: Both matches could tilt the race for the top eight. Celta Vigo vs Bologna europa league 2025 score prediction is particularly intriguing given Bologna’s unbeaten streak, while Basel vs Aston Villa europa league 2025 result will show whether Villa can maintain their dominance away from home.
• Young Boys vs Lille and Porto vs Malmö: These games matter at both ends of the table. Neutral fans following Young Boys vs Lille europa league 2025 score prediction and Porto vs Malmo FF europa league 2025 result will get a better sense of which clubs are genuine dark horses for the spring knockouts.
How to follow the Europa League from Indonesia
For supporters in Southeast Asia, especially those searching how to watch europa league 2025 in indonesia, broadcasters and streaming platforms continue to expand their coverage. Official europa league 2025 streaming link options are available via major regional pay-TV networks and licensed streaming apps, while many matches, including late-kickoff ties featuring Lyon, Aston Villa and Roma, are shown on free-to-air channels. Checking the europa league 2025 live tv schedule each week is essential, as kickoff times shift to accommodate the expanded league phase and the busy domestic calendars.
Outlook: title race and top contenders
With three matchdays left in the league phase, the list of europa league 2025 title contenders is taking shape. Lyon, Aston Villa, Porto and Roma look the most balanced, combining solid defensive structures with explosive attacking options. Midtjylland, SC Freiburg and Real Betis are close behind, while dark horses like Bologna, Lille and Red Star Belgrade could become dangerous in knockout football.
Individual honours are equally open. Hat-tricks from Tolisso and Stanić shuffled the rankings in the race for europa league 2025 top scorers, while creative players such as Hatate, Schultz and Bernardeschi are emerging as serious candidates among the top assist providers in europa league 2025.
One thing is already clear: in this expanded, unpredictable competition, there will be more twists. Match analysis tips for europa league 2025 suggest keeping a close eye on form, rotation and travel, because the margin between a comfortable top-eight finish and a nervous fight for 17th–24th is incredibly thin.
As we move towards europa league matchday 6 2025 schedule and beyond, the only safe prediction is that Thursday nights will keep delivering drama – on the pitch, in the stands and across the continent.
