The verdict is in for Newcastle and Nottingham Forest: both English clubs, forced into the play‑off round after finishing outside the top eight, will have to put in extra work if they hope to keep their European campaigns alive. The Tyne & Wear side must travel all the way to Azerbaijan, while Nottingham Forest will host Fenerbahçe in one of the standout ties of the play‑offs.
Qarabağ, Newcastle’s opponents, reach the play‑offs after a mixed league phase. The Azerbaijani club faced two English sides along the way: first Chelsea, who scraped a hard‑fought 2–2 draw in Baku, and then Liverpool, who ran riot with a 6–0 win on the final matchday. Finishing 22nd out of the 24 qualified teams, Qarabağ hardly shone, but the long trip remains a potential banana skin for any side, and Newcastle will need to stay switched on to avoid an upset.
As for Nottingham Forest, they will head to Istanbul to take on Fenerbahçe. The Istanbul giants, who finished 19th in their Europa League league phase, have faced only one English club this season: Aston Villa, who came away from Turkey with a 1–0 win. Despite an inconsistent campaign, Fenerbahçe boast several high‑quality players and will be a formidable opponent, backed by a famously passionate home crowd.
It is also worth noting—although the draw was already known—that Crystal Palace will contest their Europa Conference League play‑off against Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar.
