Europa League knockout playoffs: Everything you need to know
The return of European football is upon us and it's not just the Champions League where the excitement is at.
UEFA's addition of a third major club competition, the Europa Conference League, has added another dimension to the Europa League. The playoff round was first put to the test last season amid the Conference League's inauguration, and the new dynamic was widely praised.
No longer are the teams eliminated from the Champions League guaranteed a spot in the knockout stages of Europe's secondary club competition. A second chance is still granted, but they must defeat a Europa League group runner up to advance.
Here's everything you need to know about the Europa League knockout playoffs, which begin on Thursday.
2022/23 Europa League knockout playoffs
Here are the eight Europa League knockout playoffs. The first legs will be played on 16 February and the second legs on 23 February:
- Barcelona vs Manchester United
- Ajax vs Union Berlin
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes
- Salzburg vs AS Roma
- Juventus vs Nantes
- Sporting CP vs Midtjylland
- Bayer Leverkusen vs AS Monaco
- Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven
2022/23 Europa League knockout playoffs rules
The Europa League playoffs involve eight seeded teams (group runners-up) taking on eight unseeded teams (third-place group finishers in the UCL) for a place in the competition's round of 16, where the eight group winners await.
These playoff ties are played over two legs with each team playing home and away. The seeded teams will play the second leg at home.
The winner over two legs will progress. However, if the aggregate score is tied following the conclusion of normal time in the second leg, an extra 30-minute period will ensue. Remember, there are no away goals.
Should the scores remain level after extra time, the winner will be determined via a penalty shootout.
How to watch the Europa League knockout playoffs
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
Australia | Stan Sport |
Canada | DAZN |
UK | BT Sport |
US | Paramount+ |
When did UEFA introduce the Europa League knockout playoffs?
UEFA's introduction of a Europa League playoff round coincided with the establishment of the Europa Conference League in 2021.
The start of this competition brought about several changes to the Europa League. The number of teams was reduced from 48 to 32 and, of course, a playoff round was added to determine who qualifies for the round of 16.
Teams that were eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages would've previously been guaranteed a place in the Europa League knockouts, but that is no longer the case.