Villa seal place in Europa League last 16 as Celtic draw in Italy

Aston Villa clinched their advancement to the Europa League knockout stage last 16 on Thursday evening thanks to a narrow 1-0 victory over Fenerbahce, whereas Celtic squandered a comfortable two-goal cushion against Bologna, putting their progression at serious risk. 

In Istanbul, Jadon Sancho's well-timed header during the first half secured Villa's sixth triumph across their past seven continental fixtures, propelling Unai Emery's squad into the top eight positions and sparing them from the preliminary knockout rounds.

Matty Cash rattled the woodwork after the interval, and Villa maintained their lead as Fenerbahce's custodian Marco Bizot made several crucial interventions while the hosts pressed hard for a leveller.

Villa sit in second place within the league table, amassing 18 points and lagging behind Lyon solely on goal difference. Lyon also progressed with a 1-0 success against Swiss outfit Young Boys.

Celtic managed only a 2-2 stalemate on the road versus Bologna, which leaves their hopes of moving beyond the league stage hanging by a thread.

Under Martin O'Neill, the team took the lead via an early effort from Reo Hatate, though the Japanese midfielder earned a red card via his second yellow on the 34-minute mark.

Defender Auston Trusty extended Celtic's edge just before the break, yet Bologna mounted a comeback with strikes from Thijs Dallings and Jonathan Rowe.

Celtic occupy 23rd spot in the 36-team format but face the possibility of slipping further as various teams compete later that day. The Scottish title holders will welcome Utrecht for their concluding match next week. 

Nottingham Forest aim for a fourth success in their last five European outings when Sean Dyche's charges face Braga in Portugal.