The draw for the Round of 16 of the Europa League and Conference League took place in Nyon. The most exciting fixture is the Italian clash between AS Roma and Bologna, which could negatively impact Italy's national coefficient. VfB Stuttgart will face FC Porto, and SC Freiburg will play against Belgian side Genk. English clubs Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest were drawn against Lille and Midtjylland respectively, promising a fierce battle for the quarter-finals.

Italian Derby in the Round of 16

AS Roma and Bologna will play against each other, guaranteeing the advancement of one Italian team but weakening Italy's position in the national coefficient.

Stuttgart's Tough Draw

German side VfB Stuttgart will face FC Porto, while Atalanta will try to stop the mighty Bayern Munich in the fight for the quarter-finals.

Forest and Villa in the Mix

Premier League clubs learned their opponents: Nottingham Forest will play Midtjylland, and Aston Villa will host French side Lille.

The draw ceremony in Swiss Nyon produced the Europa League Round of 16 pairings, delivering several headline fixtures for fans. The biggest surprise and disappointment for Italian fans is the 'domestic' duel between AS Roma and Bologna. Representatives from both clubs, including Bologna's sporting director Giovanni Di Vaio, admitted they would have preferred to avoid a fellow Italian side at this stage. This configuration means Italy will inevitably lose one representative, complicating the fight for Serie A's fifth spot in next season's Champions League. Meanwhile, Atalanta Bergamo faces an extremely difficult challenge against Bayern Munich, considered one of the favorites for the ultimate title. German teams learned their opponents with moderate optimism. VfB Stuttgart, after dramatically eliminating Celtic, was drawn against the decorated FC Porto, a matchup experts assess as demanding but a fair test for Sebastian Hoeneß's squad. SC Freiburg will battle Belgian side KRC Genk. In the Spanish camp, moods are mixed: Celta Vigo will face Lyon, featuring the talented Endrick, while Real Betis will play against Greek side Panathinaikos led by Rafael Benítez. For Lyon, managed by Fabio Grosso, the clash with a Spanish team will be an opportunity to confirm a return to their former glory. The Europa League Round of 16 format has evolved over decades; since 2009, when the UEFA Cup was rebranded as the Europa League, the knockout phase has become one of the most unpredictable paths to winning the trophy and qualifying for the Champions League.In the Conference League, attention is on English side Crystal Palace, which after eliminating Zrinjski will play against Cypriot AEK Larnaca. Another German representative, FSV Mainz 05, will try its luck against Czech side Sigma Olomouc. Meanwhile, Swiss football is licking its wounds after the elimination of Lausanne-Sport, which media in the country describe as a painful blow to the national UEFA coefficient. Nottingham Forest, forced to fight on two fronts under Vitor Pereira, will face Danish side Midtjylland, a match the manager described as a chance to continue their European adventure despite a difficult situation in the Premier League. Switzerland, although historically a country with a solid position in European football, in the 21st century regularly struggles with fluctuations in the form of its clubs, which directly affects their seeding in continental tournaments.„Avremmo evitato volentieri la Roma, è un derby che non fa bene al ranking italiano.” (We would have gladly avoided Roma, it's a derby that is not good for the Italian ranking.) — Bologna's sporting director

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