Villa face Lille test while Forest get Midtjylland rematch in Europa League last 16

The draw has been kind to England's representatives in Europe's second-tier competition, with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest potentially set for a mouth-watering semi-final showdown.

Villa will tackle Lille in a matchup against the French outfit, who finished 18th in the league phase despite recording four victories and four defeats. It's a tricky proposition, but hardly the most daunting draw on offer.

Forest, meanwhile, have been handed a chance at revenge. They'll face FC Midtjylland again after the Danish side inflicted a 3-2 defeat at the City Ground during Ange Postecoglou's tenure. Midtjylland proved their pedigree by winning six of their eight group-stage matches to finish third in their pool.

The Reds had to sweat it out in the play-offs to reach this stage. A 2-1 home loss to Fenerbahce looked ominous, but their commanding 3-0 victory in Istanbul the previous week proved decisive. Postecoglou's side will have a chance to settle the score.

Villa bypassed the play-off rigmarole, having secured their spot in the league phase proper. Both English clubs now find themselves on the same half of the draw—a fortunate circumstance that could see them collide at the penultimate hurdle.

Crystal Palace also discovered their Conference League opposition on Friday, earning a meeting with AEK Larnaca. The Eagles had to navigate the play-offs themselves, dismantling Bosnian opposition Zrinjski Mostar 3-1 on aggregate following a shock 1-1 draw away from home and a 2-0 success at Selhurst Park.

The last-16 ties will be contested on 12 and 19 March, with quarter-finals scheduled for 9 and 16 April. The semi-finals are pencilled in for 30 April and 7 May.

Europa League last 16 draw: Ferencvaros v Braga, Panathinaikos v Real Betis, Genk v Freiburg, Celta Vigo v Lyon, Stuttgart v Porto, Nottingham Forest v Midtjylland, Bologna v Roma, Lille v Aston Villa

Europa Conference League last 16 draw: Lech Poznan v Shakhtar Donetsk, AZ Alkmaar v Sparta Prague, Crystal Palace v Larnaca, Fiorentina v Rakow, Samsunspor v Rayo Vallecano, Celje v AEK Athens, Sigma Olomouc v Mainz, Rijeka v Strasbourg