2020–21 UEFA Europa League knockout phase
The 2020–21 UEFA Europa League knockout phase will begin on 18 February with the round of 32 and will end on 26 May 2021 with the final at Stadion Miejski in Gdańsk, Poland, to decide the champions of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League.[1] A total of 32 teams will compete in the knockout phase.[2]
Times are CET/CEST,[note 1] as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
Qualified teams
The knockout phase involves 32 teams: the 24 teams which qualified as winners and runners-up of each of the 12 groups in the group stage, and the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage.
Europa League group stage winners and runners-up
| Group | Winners (seeded in round of 32 draw) |
Runners-up (unseeded in round of 32 draw) |
|---|---|---|
| A |  Roma
|
 Young Boys
|
| B |  Arsenal
|
 Molde
|
| C |  Bayer Leverkusen
|
 Slavia Prague
|
| D |  Rangers
|
 Benfica
|
| E |  PSV Eindhoven
|
 Granada
|
| F | Napoli
|
Real Sociedad
|
| G | Leicester City
|
Braga
|
| H | Milan
|
 Lille
|
| I | Villarreal
|
 Maccabi Tel Aviv
|
| J | Tottenham Hotspur
|
 Antwerp
|
| K |  Dinamo Zagreb
|
 Wolfsberger AC
|
| L | 1899 Hoffenheim
|
 Red Star Belgrade
|
Champions League group stage third-placed teams
| Seed | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Seeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H | Manchester United
|
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 9 | Seeded in round of 32 draw |
| 2 | F | Club Brugge
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 8 | |
| 3 | B |  Shakhtar Donetsk
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | −7 | 8 | |
| 4 | D | Ajax
|
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| 5 | E |  Krasnodar
|
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 5 | Unseeded in round of 32 draw |
| 6 | A | Red Bull Salzburg
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 17 | −7 | 4 | |
| 7 | G | Dynamo Kyiv
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 4 | |
| 8 | C |  Olympiacos
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 3 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Disciplinary points; 8) Club coefficient (UCL Regulations Article 16.04).[3]
Format
Each tie in the knockout phase, apart from the final, will be played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scores more goals on aggregate over the two legs advances to the next round. If the aggregate score is level, the away goals rule is applied, i.e. the team that scores more goals away from home over the two legs advances. If away goals are also equal, then extra time is played. The away goals rule is again applied after extra time, i.e. if there are goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score is still level, the visiting team advances by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals are scored during extra time, the winners are decided by a penalty shoot-out. In the final, which will be played as a single match, if the score is level at the end of normal time, extra time is played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the score is still level.[2] The mechanism of the draws for each round is as follows:
- In the draw for the round of 32, the twelve group winners and the four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage with the better group records were seeded, and the twelve group runners-up and the other four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage were unseeded. The seeded teams were drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group or the same association could not be drawn against each other.
- In the draws for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, there are no seedings, and teams from the same group or the same association can be drawn against each other. As the draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held together before the quarter-finals are played, the identity of the quarter-final winners will not be known at the time of the semi-final draw. A draw will also be held to determine which semi-final winner is designated as the "home" team for the final (for administrative purposes as it will be played at a neutral venue).
Schedule
The schedule is as follows (all draws are held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland).
| Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 14 December 2020, 13:00 | 18 February 2021 | 25 February 2021 |
| Round of 16 | 26 February 2021, 13:00 | 11 March 2021 | 18 March 2021 |
| Quarter-finals | 19 March 2021, 13:00 | 8 April 2021 | 15 April 2021 |
| Semi-finals | 29 April 2021 | 6 May 2021 | |
| Final | 26 May 2021 at Stadion Miejski, Gdańsk | ||
Round of 32
The draw for the round of 32 was held on 14 December 2020, 13:00 CET.[4]
Summary
The first legs will be played on 18 February, and the second legs will be played on 24 and 25 February 2021.
Matches
Round of 16
The draw for the round of 16 will be held on 26 February 2021.[5] The first legs will be played on 11 March, and the second legs will be played on 18 March 2021.
Quarter-finals
The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on 19 March 2021.[6] The first legs will be played on 8 April, and the second legs will be played on 15 April 2021.
Semi-finals
The draw for the semi-finals will be held on 19 March 2021, after the quarter-final draw.[6] The first legs will be played on 29 April, and the second legs will be played on 6 May 2021.
Final
The final will be played on 26 May 2021 at Stadion Miejski, Gdańsk. A draw will be held on 19 March 2021, after the quarter-final and semi-final draws, to determine the "home" team for administrative purposes.[6]
| Villarreal | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Manchester United |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
| 11–10 | ||
Notes
- ^ CET (UTC+1) for dates up to 18 March 2021 (round of 32 and round of 16), and CEST (UTC+2) for dates thereafter (quarter-finals, semi-finals and final).
- ^ Wolfsberger AC will play their home matches at Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, instead of their regular home stadium Lavanttal-Arena, Wolfsberg.
- ^ Shakhtar Donetsk will play their home matches at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv, instead of their regular home stadium Donbass Arena, Donetsk, due to the war conditions in Eastern Ukraine.
References
- ^ "Updated UEFA competitions calendar". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Regulations of the UEFA Europa League, 2020/21". UEFA.com. 26 February 2021.
- ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Champions League, 2020/21". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 September 2020.
- ^ "UEFA Europa League round of 32 draw". UEFA.com. 14 December 2020.
- ^ "UEFA Europa League round of 16 draw". UEFA.com. 14 December 2020.
- ^ a b c "UEFA Europa League quarter-final and semi-final draw". UEFA.com. 1 September 2020.
- ^ "Full Time Summary Final – Villarreal v Manchester United" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.