Nottingham Forest will face Swedish champions Malmö in a Europa League group stage encounter that evokes memories of their 1979 European Cup final triumph. The fixture marks Forest’s return to continental competition after two decades away from European football.
Forest’s schedule includes eight matches, with home fixtures against Porto, Ferencvaros, and Midtjylland complementing the Malmö reunion. Their travels will take them to Real Betis, Braga, Sturm Graz, and Utrecht.
Crystal Palace, making their debut in major European competition, will compete in the Conference League after being reassigned from the Europa League due to ownership regulations. Their standout fixtures include matches against Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv, likely to be staged in Poland, and French club Strasbourg. Palace will also host AZ Alkmaar, Finnish team KuPS, and Cypriot club AEK Larnaca at Selhurst Park.
Aston Villa join the Europa League under manager Unai Emery, facing a challenging schedule that includes trips to Feyenoord, Fenerbahce, Basel, and Go Ahead Eagles. Their home matches will feature Red Bull Salzburg, Young Boys, Bologna, and Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Scottish clubs Rangers and Celtic enter the Europa League following unsuccessful Champions League qualification attempts. Rangers will host Roma, Braga, Ludogorets, and Genk, while traveling to face Porto, Ferencvaros, Sturm Graz, and Brann. Celtic’s home schedule includes matches against Roma, Sturm Graz, Utrecht, and Braga, with away fixtures at Feyenoord, Crvena Zvezda, Midtjylland, and Bologna.
Aberdeen’s Conference League campaign features a notable home encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk. The complete fixture schedule for both competitions is expected to be finalized by Sunday.
