Big European Night: Europa League and Conference League Kick Off Knockout Stages

Following the Champions League, the knockout stages of the other European competitions — the Europa League and Conference League — also begin. Tonight, each of these tournaments will feature eight first-leg matches, approximately corresponding to the Round of 16.

In both tournaments, four matches will kick off at 18:45 CET, with another four starting at 21:00 CET. Some of these encounters are guaranteed to draw significant attention. In the Europa League, the standout clash will take place in Porto, where the local team hosts AS Roma. The draw has pitted two teams worthy of the final against each other in the early stages.

In the Conference League, the stakes are lower, so the central matchups don’t quite carry the same weight. However, the meeting between Gent and Real Betis could be considered the highlight. And, of course, there’s the unique Cyprus derby between Omonia and Paphos, which is a new phenomenon in European knockout history.

The return legs will take place exactly one week from today.