The new 36-team league format means one big table instead of classic groups. Before Europa League matchday 6 2025, Lyon, Midtjylland and Aston Villa share the lead on 12 points from five matches. Just behind them sit SC Freiburg, Real Betis and Ferencvaros on 11, followed by Braga and Porto on 10. Genk complete the current top nine, also with 10 points and a positive goal difference.
Further down, big names such as Celta Vigo, Lille, VfB Stuttgart, Viktoria Plzen, Panathinaikos, Roma and Nottingham Forest are all clustered between 9 and 10 points, right on the edge between a top-eight finish and a seeded spot in the knockout phase play-offs. At the other end of the table, Nice are still looking for their first point, while clubs like Malmö FF, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Rangers are desperate to move out of the bottom twelve.
The qualification rules are simple and brutal:
- Places 1–8 advance directly to the Europa League round of 16.
- Places 9–24 go into the knockout phase play-offs (seeded vs unseeded).
- Places 25–36 see their Europa League 2025 campaign end after the league phase.
With only three matchdays left, every point on matchday 6 can transform the europa league table after matchday 6 and the entire bracket.
Early kick-offs (18:45 CET): pressure from the first whistle
Midtjylland vs Genk – clash near the top
Midtjylland vs Genk is one of the central fixtures of the night. The Danish side were the only team with a 100% record going into matchday 5, but a 1–2 defeat away to Roma brought them back to the pack. Even so, Midtjylland have lost just one of their last 13 home games in the Europa League league/group phase (6 wins, 6 draws), which is a huge factor for any Midtjylland vs Genk europa league 2025 score prediction.
Genk arrive full of confidence. After their dramatic 4–3 away win at Braga on matchday 4, they beat Basel 2–1 to climb into the top nine and put themselves in the conversation for a direct round-of-16 spot. This makes the Midtjylland vs Genk schedule on 11 December 2025 one of the most important fixtures of the entire round.
Editorial prediction: tight, intense and physical – a 1–1 draw would not surprise, but whoever scores first could tilt the balance. In our cards and goals prediction for Midtjylland vs Genk we expect over 3.5 cards and maybe under 3.5 goals, given how much is at stake.
Ferencvaros vs Rangers – unbeaten hosts vs desperate visitors
Ferencvaros are one of only four teams still unbeaten in the competition. Robbie Keane’s side opened the Europa League 2025 league phase with three wins before drawing away at Fenerbahce on matchday 5. That run explains why Ferencvaros europa league 2025 results have them firmly inside the current top eight.
Rangers, by contrast, took their first point only in a home draw against Braga. To keep their hopes of reaching the top 24 alive, they need more than just a solid performance in Budapest – they probably need a win. Supporters searching for “Ferencvaros vs Rangers europa league 2025 score prediction” will see a classic battle between a confident home team and a historic European club under pressure.
Keane has added an extra layer of intrigue: he played twice for Celtic in the Old Firm derby against Rangers, winning once and losing once. That history only increases the emotional charge around this Ferencvaros vs Rangers europa league match.
Other early games
The early slot is packed with fixtures that will shape the europa league league phase 2025 results:
- Young Boys vs Lille – a key fixture for Lille, who sit in mid-table, while Young Boys chase a late surge towards the top 24. Queries such as Young Boys vs Lille europa league 2025 score prediction and highlights Young Boys vs Lille europa league are likely to peak on matchday 6.
- Utrecht vs Nottingham Forest – Forest’s Premier League talent faces a tricky away day against a side that believes in its home advantage.
- Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Betis – Dinamo fight to move away from the danger zone, while Real Betis europa league 2025 stats this season show a team efficient at grinding out results.
- Nice vs Braga – Nice are still on zero points; Braga, sitting seventh with 10 points, cannot afford a slip if they want to stay among the seeds.
- Ludogorets Razgrad vs PAOK – Ludogorets forward Petar Stanic leads the golden-boot race after his hat-trick in the 3–2 win over Celta Vigo on matchday 5. Searches for Ludogorets Razgrad vs PAOK europa league 2025 result and cards and goals prediction for Ludogorets Razgrad vs PAOK will be high if he keeps scoring.
- Sturm Graz vs Red Star Belgrade – a physically demanding tie between two combative sides, crucial for both in the race for a knockout place.
- VfB Stuttgart vs Maccabi Tel Aviv – Stuttgart sit just outside the top eight and must beat a struggling Maccabi to maintain hopes of a seeded play-off berth.
Late kick-offs (21:00 CET): Celtic vs Roma and other blockbusters
Celtic vs Roma – first ever competitive meeting
Celtic vs Roma is arguably the headline game of Europa League matchday 6. Celtic’s stunning 2–1 comeback win away to Feyenoord on matchday 5 was one of their best European results in recent years. It also came after interim coach Martin O’Neill admitted that his wife had told him things would probably not work out – a quote that has already become part of Celtic lore.
Roma travel to Glasgow with good memories of Scotland: they already won 2–0 away to Rangers earlier in the league phase. Despite both clubs’ rich European history, this is their first official head-to-head encounter, which only adds to the hype around the preview Celtic vs Roma europa league match tonight.
For any Celtic vs Roma europa league 2025 score prediction, it is impossible to ignore Celtic Park’s atmosphere, but Roma’s tactical discipline and experience make them dangerous. A high-tempo game with over 2.5 goals and several bookings seems likely.
FCSB vs Feyenoord – last chance for two European giants
FCSB vs Feyenoord quietly might be one of the most dramatic games on the card. Both clubs have three points from one win and four defeats, with identical records. Another loss here could effectively end their dreams of reaching the knockout phase.
Feyenoord come into the game with worrying form: they have lost seven of their last nine European matches (two wins). That trend is crucial for any FCSB vs Feyenoord europa league 2025 score prediction and shapes expectations around cards and goals prediction for FCSB vs Feyenoord – tension will be high and neither side can afford a slow start.
Porto, Lyon and Aston Villa – leaders trying to consolidate
Several top-ranked teams play in the late window:
- Porto vs Malmö FF – Porto are currently inside the top eight and want to stay there; Malmö sit near the bottom, needing a positive result just to keep their Europa League 2025 campaign alive.
- Basel vs Aston Villa – a dangerous away trip for one of the most attacking sides in the competition. Many expect goals and a dominant performance in any Basel vs Aston Villa europa league 2025 score prediction.
- Lyon vs Go Ahead Eagles – on paper, a favourable home tie for the current league leaders. Lyon europa league 2025 fixtures so far show a balanced team capable of both controlling matches and winning late.
In addition, Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzen, Celta Vigo vs Bologna, SC Freiburg vs Red Bull Salzburg and Brann vs Fenerbahce complete a schedule where every match has direct consequences for the europa league table after matchday 6.
What is at stake on matchday 6?
With only two more rounds to come after this, matchday 6 is where the field begins to split clearly into title contenders, round-of-16 hopefuls and teams simply fighting for survival. Clubs such as Lyon, Midtjylland, Aston Villa, SC Freiburg, Real Betis and Ferencvaros are already thinking about a direct place among the top eight. Sides like Genk, Braga, Porto, Celta Vigo, Lille, VfB Stuttgart, Panathinaikos and Roma are trying to stay in the 9–24 zone and secure at least a seeded play-off spot.
At the same time, traditional names – Rangers, Nice, Feyenoord, FCSB, Utrecht, Malmö FF and Maccabi Tel Aviv – are under serious pressure just to keep their Europa League 2025 campaign alive. Their results on matchday 6 will decide whether supporters are still searching for live score updates and match highlights of their teams in February, or whether the focus moves on to domestic competitions only.
By the end of this round, fans will have a much clearer view of the complete europa league 2025 schedule for the knockout phase, as well as which clubs remain realistic europa league 2025 title contenders. For now, matchday 6 offers a perfect combination of high-profile clashes like Celtic vs Roma, tactical battles such as Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Betis, and make-or-break encounters like FCSB vs Feyenoord – a night no Europa League follower should miss.
