2025-26 Europa League power rankings: Rating Forest & Aston Villa’s chances…
The 2025-26 Europa League campaign is about to get underway and it’s difficult to pick a clear favourite this year. The field looks wide open in the absence of any of the traditional elite European powerhouses.
Last season we saw an all-English final – could we see a full Midlands affair in 2026? It’s certainly on the cards, with the managers of the two Premier League representatives experienced in delivering success in this competition.
Here’s our power rankings of the 10 clubs we reckon are most likely to lift the trophy in Istanbul next May.
10. Celta Vigo
A refreshing Spanish entry into this year’s Europa League.
Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal are in the Champions League, while Valencia and Sevilla languished in the bottom half last term and at times looked in genuine danger of relegation. Something a bit different this time.
Older football watchers might remember ‘EuroCelta’ and their brilliant 4-1 aggregate victory over Liverpool en route to the quarter-finals of the 1998-99 UEFA Cup.
We don’t foresee anything quite so spectacular from this Celta outfit, back in Europe for the first time in nine years, but the last eight shouldn’t be beyond them with a favourable rub of the green.
Club icon Iago Aspas, still going at 38, will be savouring European nights at Balaidos. Celta’s coach, Claudio Giraldez – who worked wonders to turn the ship around after Rafael Benitez’s disastrous tenure – is actually younger than him.
9. Lyon
Lyon were this close to knocking out Manchester United last season before Harry Maguire did a madness at Old Trafford.
The Ligue 1 club’s financial difficulties saw that side pillaged in the summer, so it’s a big ask to expect them to go any further this time around.
But there’s plenty of promise in the likes of Tanner Tessmann, Tyler Morton and Malick Fofana, while homegrown hero Corentin Tolisso and World Cup winner Nicolas Tagliafico offer considerable experience.
8. Fenerbahce
The Turkish Super Lig giants’ failure to make it through the Champions League qualifiers cost Jose Mourinho his job.
He’s now in charge of their conquerors, Benfica, back to where it all began. Funny old game.
Their 6-3 aggregate victory over Feyenoord showed that they can compete at this level, and we’re fascinated to see how such an eclectic squad of memorable, one-time top-level footballers will fare together.
Fred! Caglar Soyuncu! Nelson Semedo! Milan Skriniar! Ederson! Jhon Duran! Marco Asensio! Not forgetting – of course – Cenk Tosun. This might be the most Turkish Super Lig squad ever assembled.
7. Real Betis
Manuel Pellegrini’s Verdiblancos gave Chelsea a real test for 60 minutes in last season’s Conference League final.
They squandered chances to go two goals ahead and were ultimately outclassed by Enzo Maresca’s considerably more expensively assembled Blues squad.
Betis might have gone up a level in UEFA competitions, but they’re unlikely to face any sides as formidable as Chelsea this time around.
Talisman Isco is unfortunately sidelined until the new year, but they should have enough to navigate their way to the knockout stages without him.
And if the wonderfully talented Spanish playmaker can come back just as strong, you wouldn’t want to face them over two legs.
6. Bologna
Your classic dark horses.
Bologna have a recent trophy-winning pedigree, having shocked AC Milan with a superb 1-0 victory in last season’s Coppa Italia final.
They lost some big players in the summer, not least the Coppa Italia match-winner Dan Ndoye to Nottingham Forest, but they’ve shown a knack for rolling with the punches and rebuilding.
Veteran Italy internationals Federico Bernardeschi and Ciro Immobile have returned to Serie A with a point to prove, while England’s Under-21 Euros winner Jonathan Rowe looks an interesting addition.
5. Nottingham Forest
It’s just how we play, mate.
Ange Postecoglou’s tactical approach is famously dogmatic. You’d certainly think as much if you catch any of his stubborn, combative interviews.
But Tottenham’s run to lifting this trophy last season demonstrated he can adapt. They were surprisingly defensively sturdy when they chose to be.
The approach that saw them vanquish Manchester United in the Bilbao final certainly didn’t look much like Angeball.
Postecoglou’s start to life at the City Ground hasn’t exactly been convincing. The fit with the squad inherited raises questions. We foresee further teething problems in the coming weeks.
But as they sail choppy waters, there’s enough quality in this squad for them to navigate a league phase that includes eminently winnable fixtures against Midtjylland, Sturm Graz, Malmo, Utrecht, Braga and Ferencvaros.
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4. Stuttgart
As a club, Stuttgart have tons of European pedigree. They were rarely out of UEFA competitions between the mid-70s and early 2010s.
But this is a new frontier for top young coach Sebastian Hoeness and his exciting young Stuttgart side, who won last season’s DFB Pokal.
We’re backing them to be this year’s surprise package. There’s some serious quality there with Bilal El Khannouss, Maximilian Mittelstadt, Angelo Stiller and Chema Andres. Stars of the future.
3. Porto
Porto finished a fairly distant third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season, but there are reasons to be optimistic after landing highly-rated 36-year-old Italian coach Francesco Farioli.
A disciple of Roberto De Zerbi, Porto ought to be fun to watch at the very least. And they still boast a 100% winning record under the new boss, including a statement-making 2-1 victory over the reigning champions Sporting.
With Diogo Costa between the sticks, rising star Samu Aghehowa up top and the likes of Jakub Kiwior, Gabri Veiga and Borja Sainz elsewhere in their ranks, Porto are capable of producing something special this season.
2. Roma
It’s not only Villa and Forest who boast coaches with experience of lifting this trophy.
Gian Piero Gasperini worked wonders for years at Atalanta, capping off a superb job by leading them to Europa League glory in 2023-24, and doing so in style by bringing an end to Bayer Leverkusen’s long-unbeaten run under Xabi Alonso in the final.
It’ll take the veteran tactician time to get Roma playing in such a breathless, easy-on-the-eye style but the early signs are promising.
And we’re taking particular interest in the fortunes of loan signing Evan Ferguson. The Republic of Ireland international has lost his way in recent years, but Gasperini has a proven track record of getting centre-forwards performing.
1. Aston Villa
We know what you’re thinking.
Aston Villa’s one goal, zero wins and three Premier League points are hardly going to have the Europa League’s big dogs quaking in their boots. The vibes at Villa Park don’t look good, to put it mildly.
But let’s remind you that the Europa League final was contested between the teams that finished 15th and 17th last season, and won by the latter.
And that the man who sits in the dugout is Mr Europa League, having won it four times with two different clubs. He even got Arsenal’s post-Wenger rabble to the final.
Even in their current state of dysfunction, we’re backing Villa to comfortably make it through the long and forgiving league phase. And the knockout stages are where Unai Emery thrives.
We fully expect them to have got their act together by the time things get serious in the spring.
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