2017–18 UEFA Europa League knockout phase facts for kids
The 2017–18 UEFA Europa League knockout phase was an exciting part of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League football tournament. It started on February 13, 2018, and ended with the big final game on May 16, 2018. This final match was played at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Décines-Charpieu, France. In total, 32 teams competed in this knockout stage to see who would become the champions!
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How the Tournament Worked
The knockout phase is like a series of mini-tournaments where teams play against each other, and the loser is eliminated. All the important draws, where teams found out who they would play, happened at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Key Dates for the Games
Here's when the different rounds and draws took place:
| Round | Draw Date | First Game | Second Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 11 December 2017 | 15 February 2018 | 22 February 2018 |
| Round of 16 | 23 February 2018 | 8 March 2018 | 15 March 2018 |
| Quarter-finals | 16 March 2018 | 5 April 2018 | 12 April 2018 |
| Semi-finals | 13 April 2018 | 26 April 2018 | 3 May 2018 |
| Final | 16 May 2018 at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu | ||
Sometimes, games were played on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of the usual Thursdays because of other matches happening at the same time.
Teams That Qualified
Teams could qualify for the knockout phase in two main ways: by doing well in the Europa League group stage or by finishing third in their Champions League group.
Europa League Group Stage Teams
The top two teams from each of the 12 Europa League groups moved on to the knockout phase. The teams that won their groups were "seeded," meaning they had a slight advantage in the draw for the Round of 32.
| Group | Winners (Seeded) |
Runners-up (Unseeded) |
|---|---|---|
| A |  Villarreal |
 Astana |
| B |  Dynamo Kyiv |
 Partizan |
| C |  Braga |
 Ludogorets Razgrad |
| D |  Milan |
 AEK Athens |
| E | Atalanta |
 Lyon |
| F |  Lokomotiv Moscow |
 Copenhagen |
| G |  Viktoria Plzeň |
 FCSB |
| H |  Arsenal |
Red Star Belgrade |
| I |  Red Bull Salzburg |
Marseille |
| J | Athletic Bilbao |
 Östersund |
| K | Lazio |
Nice |
| L | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
Real Sociedad |
Champions League Third-Placed Teams
Eight teams that finished third in their Champions League groups also joined the Europa League knockout phase. The four best of these teams were seeded for the Round of 32 draw.
| Seed | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Seeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | CSKA Moscow |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 9 | Seeded in round of 32 draw |
| 2 | C | Atlético Madrid |
6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 7 | |
| 3 | G |  RB Leipzig |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 7 | |
| 4 | D | Sporting CP |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 7 | |
| 5 | F | Napoli |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 6 | Unseeded in round of 32 draw |
| 6 | E | Spartak Moscow |
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 6 | |
| 7 | B |  Celtic |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | −13 | 3 | |
| 8 | H | Borussia Dortmund |
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | −6 | 2 |
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).
Round of 32
The draw for the Round of 32 happened on December 11, 2017. The first games were played on February 13 and 15, and the second games on February 21 and 22, 2018.
Round of 32 Results
Here's a quick look at which teams won their matches and moved on:
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund |
4–3 | Atalanta |
3–2 | 1–1 |
| Nice |
2–4 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
2–3 | 0–1 |
| Copenhagen |
1–5 | Atlético Madrid |
1–4 | 0–1 |
| Spartak Moscow |
3–4 | Athletic Bilbao |
1–3 | 2–1 |
| AEK Athens |
1–1 (a) | Dynamo Kyiv |
1–1 | 0–0 |
| Celtic |
1–3 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
1–0 | 0–3 |
| Napoli |
3–3 (a) | RB Leipzig |
1–3 | 2–0 |
| Red Star Belgrade |
0–1 | CSKA Moscow |
0–0 | 0–1 |
| Lyon |
4–1 | Villarreal |
3–1 | 1–0 |
| Real Sociedad |
3–4 | Red Bull Salzburg |
2–2 | 1–2 |
| Partizan |
1–3 | Viktoria Plzeň |
1–1 | 0–2 |
| FCSB |
2–5 | Lazio |
1–0 | 1–5 |
| Ludogorets Razgrad |
0–4 | Milan |
0–3 | 0–1 |
| Astana |
4–6 | Sporting CP |
1–3 | 3–3 |
| Östersund |
2–4 | Arsenal |
0–3 | 2–1 |
| Marseille |
3–1 | Braga |
3–0 | 0–1 |
Round of 16
The draw for the Round of 16 was held on February 23, 2018. The first games were played on March 8, and the second games on March 15, 2018.
Round of 16 Results
Here are the teams that made it through to the Quarter-finals:
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lazio |
4–2 | Dynamo Kyiv |
2–2 | 2–0 |
| RB Leipzig |
3–2 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
2–1 | 1–1 |
| Atlético Madrid |
8–1 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
3–0 | 5–1 |
| CSKA Moscow |
3–3 (a) | Lyon |
0–1 | 3–2 |
| Marseille |
5–2 | Athletic Bilbao |
3–1 | 2–1 |
| Sporting CP |
3–2 | Viktoria Plzeň |
2–0 | 1–2 (aet) |
| Borussia Dortmund |
1–2 | Red Bull Salzburg |
1–2 | 0–0 |
| Milan |
1–5 | Arsenal |
0–2 | 1–3 |
Quarter-finals
The draw for the Quarter-finals took place on March 16, 2018. The first games were played on April 5, and the second games on April 12, 2018. This was a special round because, for the first time since the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, all eight teams came from different countries!
Quarter-finals Results
Here are the teams that moved on to the Semi-finals:
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB Leipzig |
3–5 | Marseille |
1–0 | 2–5 |
| Arsenal |
6–3 | CSKA Moscow |
4–1 | 2–2 |
| Atlético Madrid |
2–1 | Sporting CP |
2–0 | 0–1 |
| Lazio |
5–6 | Red Bull Salzburg |
4–2 | 1–4 |
Semi-finals
The draw for the Semi-finals was held on April 13, 2018. The first games were played on April 26, and the second games on May 3, 2018.
Semi-finals Results
Only two teams could make it to the grand Final:
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marseille |
3–2 | Red Bull Salzburg |
2–0 | 1–2 (aet) |
| Arsenal |
1–2 | Atlético Madrid |
1–1 | 0–1 |
Final Match
The biggest game of the tournament, the Final, was played at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Décines-Charpieu on May 16, 2018. The "home" team for the final was decided by an extra draw after the semi-finals.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Dieciseisavos de final de la Liga Europa de la UEFA 2017-18 para niños
