Forest clinch Europa League last 16 spot as Celtic go out
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PARIS: Nottingham Forest held off a Fenerbahce fightback to qualify for the last 16 of the Europa League with a 4-2 win on aggregate despite losing Thursday’s second leg, while Celtic exited after coming up short against Stuttgart.
Forest led 3-0 from the first leg in Turkey but Kerem Akturkoglu brought Fenerbahce back into the tie with goals in each half, the second from the penalty spot after a foul by Jair Cunha.
Callum Hudson-Odoi eased the growing anxiety inside the City Ground when he pulled one back for Forest on 68 minutes, with the Premier League side taking their place in Friday’s draw for the later rounds despite a 2-1 home defeat.
“I think we made it difficult for ourselves,” Hudson-Odoi told TNT Sports. “Sometimes you know when you are in the lead and sometimes you are comfortable. We showed a great reaction after the second goal. The most important thing is that we are through.”
Forest, who are fighting for their top-flight survival under new boss Vitor Pereira, will face Real Betis or Danish side Midtjylland in the last 16.
Celtic bowed out of Europe after losing 4-2 on aggregate to Stuttgart despite a 1-0 away win in the second leg of their knockout phase play-off tie.
After last week’s 4-1 defeat in Glasgow left Martin O’Neill’s side facing a three-goal deficit, they made the ideal start to the second leg, with Luke McCowan finding the net inside the opening minute.
But Celtic could make no further inroads and had to settle for the consolation of the club’s first ever win in Germany.
Their exit left the Scottish champions still seeking a first European knockout tie victory since 2004, with their domestic supremacy also under threat this season from Hearts.
“The first leg got away from us and we gave away some soft goals, but tonight was a brilliant backs-to-the-wall performance,” O’Neill told TNT Sports.
Stuttgart advance to the last 16 and will face Porto or Braga in the next round. Aston Villa are set to meet Celta Vigo or Lille, who edged past Red Star Belgrade 2-1 after extra time in Serbia.
Former France striker Olivier Giroud levelled the tie early in Belgrade after Lille lost the first leg 1-0 at home last week. Nathan Ngoy struck the winner in extra time. If Lille don’t play Villa they will have an all-Ligue 1 clash with Lyon.
Panathinaikos scraped past Viktoria Plzen on penalties after a 3-3 draw on aggregate, with Ferencvaros erasing a first-leg deficit to beat Bulgarians Ludogorets.
Bologna saw off Norwegian outfit Brann, while Genk scored twice in extra time to down Dinamo Zagreb 6-4 on aggregate after a 3-3 draw in Belgium.
Palace Through In Conference League
Meanwhile, in the UEFA Conference League Crystal Palace moved into the last 16 with a 2-0 win over Zrinjski Mostar, while Fiorentina survived a huge scare against Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Palace were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Bosnian side Zrinjski in the first leg of their play-off tie last week.
But Oliver Glasner’s team avoided an embarrassing exit thanks to goals from Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand in the play-off second leg at Selhurst Park.
Glasner earned some breathing space as Palace struck in the 36th minute when Adam Wharton’s free-kick picked out Lacroix and the defender headed home from close range.
Guessand drilled into the far corner from Brennan Johnson’s pass in stoppage time.
Palace face German outfit Mainz or AEK Larnaca of Cyprus in the last 16.
Fiorentina were on the verge of humiliation before earning a dramatic 5-4 aggregate victory over Polish team Jagiellonia.
Paolo Vanoli’s side blew their 3-0 first leg lead as Bartosz Mazurek’s hat-trick for Jagiellonia forced extra time at the Artemio Franchi stadium.
Fiorentina finally regained control of the second leg of their play-off tie thanks to Nicolo Fagioli’s strike and Taras Romanchuk’s own goal.
Jesus Imaz’s 118th-minute strike made Fiorentina sweat, but Jagiellonia’s Bernardo Vital was sent off for a second booking in the final seconds of a 4-2 win that wasn’t enough for the Poles.
Dutch club AZ Alkmaar beat Armenian side Noah 4-0, overturning a 1-0 first leg deficit to secure a last 16 clash against Czech side Sparta Prague or Greek club AEK Athens.
Lech Poznan of Poland won 1-0 against Finland’s KuPS, clinching a 3-0 aggregate success, and next face Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk or Spain’s Rayo Vallecano.
Czech outfit Sigma Olomouc won 2-1 at Switzerland’s Lausanne-Sport, giving them a 3-2 aggregate victory and a last 16 showdown against Mainz or AEK Larnaca.
Slovenian league leaders Celje defeated Kosovo’s FC Drita 3-2 to advance 6-4 on aggregate, with Sparta Prague or AEK Athens lying in wait in the last 16.
Croatia club Rijeka beat Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia 3-1 to advance 4-1 on aggregate, setting up a meeting with Strasbourg or Rakow Czestochowa.
Samsunspor routed North Macedonia’s Shkendija 4-0 to seal a 5-0 aggregate victory and will face Shakhtar Donetsk or Rayo Vallecano.
Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2026
