Which teams are the main contenders to lift the Europa League trophy in Istanbul?

[p]Both Premier League clubs left in the competition, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a], face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lille/pfDZL71o/"]Lille[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/midtjylland/8GZDmdbB/"]Midtjylland[/a] respectively, whilst LaLiga's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/betis/vJbTeCGP/"]Real Betis[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celta-vigo/8pvUZFhf/"]Celta Vigo[/a] are up against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panathinaikos/SENMmweG/"]Panathinaikos[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lyon/2akflumR/"]Lyon[/a].[/p][p]The other ties see [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vfb-stuttgart/nJQmYp1B/"]Stuttgart[/a] play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fc-porto/S2NmScGp/"]Porto[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bologna/0M9xNN8N/"]Bologna[/a] take on Serie A rivals Roma, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/genk/r3jWUIiN/"]Genk[/a] host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/freiburg/fiEQZ7C7/"]Freiburg[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/braga/dpUer7ht/"]Braga[/a] travel to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ferencvaros/pKS9M7R7/"]Ferencvaros[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2W4VPqBD3wajTD7vyySYtC?si=J9au0cb5RzWsd4Pqb0Cn4w" target="_blank"][b]Listen to the audio version of this article on Spotify[/b][/a][/p][h2]Antony has been on fire for Real Betis[/h2][p]At this stage of the competition, each club will feel they're in with a genuine chance of reaching the final in Istanbul at the very least, but who can be considered the main contenders in the 2025/26 edition of the competition?[/p][p]Although Betis points-wise are nearer to the bottom three in the Spanish top-flight than leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a], despite the Verdiblancos being in fifth place, under Manuel Pellegrini, they have been playing some superb, expansive attacking football.[/p][image alt="Antony's recent stats" id="0869bfa3-4328-4b6c-b903-f9214eb3321e" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="426fe822-7a53-4ed3-ba30-3f24ce10df0d" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]With four goals and three assists in his six UEL appearances for Betis this season, former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Man United[/a] outcast [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antony/dIe4SZEK/"]Antony[/a] has been on fire up front, and his livewire performances offer the Spaniard's hope of progression.[/p][p]Not to mention the vast European experience of players such as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fornals-pablo/CfghB0gf/"]Pablo Fornals[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellerin-hector/pxq49QlK/"]Hector Bellerin[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bartra-marc/8K4WA9Gh/"]Marc Bartra[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bakambu-cedric/vZ3QJXBc/"]Cedric Bakambu[/a] and others.[/p][p]Just six losses in the league during 25/26 is only bettered by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, and if they're able to replicate their home form - where they've not lost in the league since December 6th vs Barcelona, there's every chance that Betis will make a real dent in this competition.[/p][h2]Stuttgart could dent Porto's hopes[/h2][p]With just one league loss all season, Porto might well be the pick of many football watchers to be favourites to lift the trophy; however, Stuttgart represent a huge hurdle for Francesco Farioli's side to get past.[/p][p]The Bundesliga outfit has scored 50 goals in their 25 league games to date, only bettered by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim, and in European play this season, the Germans have already beaten Feyenoord, Celta Vigo, Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Celtic.[/p][embed guid="a759eb9b-b37a-4c4d-a695-ceb0ccf32f69" url="https://x.com/EuropaLeague/status/2032034364125766035" social-type="twitter" /][p]They'll have their work cut out against a Porto side who have conceded only 10 league goals so far.  However, in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/el-khannous-bilal/Ui6gj3Cl/"]Bilal El Khannouss[/a], Stuttgart have a player who has plundered five goals in nine UEL games.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/undav-deniz/tUHAdtMH/"]Deniz Undav[/a], unstoppable in the Bundesliga (15 goals and four assists in 21 games), already has two goals in eight UEL games as well as six assists, and his physicality has troubled even the meanest defences at times.[/p][h2]Unai Emery's favourite competition[/h2][p]Lille are on a reasonable run of domestic form, and whilst Villa have dropped off the Premier League pace of late, no one should discount an Unai Emery side in this competition.[/p][p]Though the Spaniard hasn't taken a side all the way to the trophy since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/villarreal/lUatW5jE/"]Villarreal[/a] won it in 2020/21, his three other victories with Sevilla in 2013/14, 2014/15, and 2015/16 ensure that the Villans have to be taken seriously at this point.[/p][embed guid="54d03b01-db83-451e-abe3-2bc3fdfd477f" url="https://x.com/EuropaLeague/status/1397679715285143553" social-type="twitter" /][p]Without a win in four games in all competitions, including an embarrassing defeat at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolves/j3Azpf5d/"]Wolverhampton Wanderers[/a], you'd be forgiven for overlooking Villa's European form, which has seen them beat RB Salzburg, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fenerbahce/MsbmracL/"]Fenerbahce[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/basel/S8MBgwuo/"]Basel[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/young-boys/YXDi6MHo/"]Young Boys[/a], Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Feyenoord and Bologna, losing just the once in the competition in 25/26, to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/g-a-eagles/hG8POBb8/"]Go-Ahead Eagles[/a].[/p][p]With such a plethora of talent to choose from in his squad, it would be a brave person indeed who would write Villa off at this stage.[/p][h2]Bologna can be a tough nut to crack[/h2][p]Of the remaining teams, perhaps only Bologna could consider themselves dark horses rather than potential favourites for this European title.[/p][p]Eighth in Serie A with 11 wins and 11 losses so far doesn't bode particularly well for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter/Iw7eKK25/"]I Rossoblu[/a], though they've already beaten current league leaders, Inter Milan, in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals, and last season's Scudetto winners, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/napoli/69Dxbc61/"]Napoli[/a], in league play.[/p][image alt="Bologna's recent form" id="c778cc68-8763-434b-afad-2167f8f4373e" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="6aecf97f-7035-48a8-a14a-e8084b08f3f3" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]When on song and focused on the job in hand, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/italiano-vincenzo/tjY4uUem/"]Vincenzo Italiano[/a]'s side is a tough nut to crack.[/p][p]A 4-3-3 formation with a high, intense pressing style has seen them undone on one or two occasions; however, in some of the biggest games of their 25/26 campaign, they've either earned a point or, when they've lost, it's generally been by a single goal.[/p][embed guid="9deb9b7d-b5dd-4891-8a06-ad2df4c242b4" url="https://x.com/EuropaLeague/status/2032025555143405665" social-type="twitter" /][p]Indeed, one such defeat came against Thursday night's opponents, Roma, right at the start of this season, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wesley-franca/zmtPBqz4/"]Wesley Franca[/a]'s goal was the only difference in a game that was virtually equal in possession terms (51% to 49%) and shots at goal (12 to 10).[/p][p]Get past the Giallorossi, and Italiano has shown that his team has the mental and physical strength to mix it with any side, and they can't be ruled out from making waves from the quarter-finals onwards.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/europe/europa-league/"]Follow the Europa League's round of 16 with Flashscore![/a][/h2][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="3f06af2c-7c6a-40b5-9ba5-d794b63771a0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="14de2efe-c0b2-4b71-9639-7078d5ae7b4d" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]