Fenerbahce vs Aston Villa: Sancho goal puts visitors on course to advance in Europa League

Jadon Sancho put Aston Villa on course to qualify for the last 16 of the Europa League with a match to spare as the Villans took the lead at Fenerbahce on Thursday.

Restored Sancho headed in Matty Cash’s cross after the full-back’s delivery was nodded on as part of a move started by the winger, whose opener put Villa top of the standings with 25 minutes played in Istanbul.

“It’s really clever,” former Villa defender Martin Keown told TNT Sports. “Sancho finds himself free in the box. It’s a nice ball in and a lovely finish.”

Jadon Sancho gives Aston Villa the lead away against Fenerbahce 🔥

📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/AmnMxEs01M

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 22, 2026

Fenerbahce team vs Aston Villa

Jhon Duran started for the hosts alongside fellow former Villan Marco Asensio.

Fred, who spent five seasons with Manchester United, and Dorgeles Nene also came in.

Archie Brown, Levent Mercan and Sebastian Szymanski were out injured. Matteo Guendouzi, Anthony Musaba and Mert Gunok are ineligible in the Europa League until the knockout phase.

Fenerbahce starting XI: Ederson, Nelson Semedo, Milan Skriniar, Jayden Oosterwolde, Mert Muldur, Dorgeles Nene, Fred, Marco Asensio, Ismail Yuksek, Kerem Akturkoglu, Jhon Duran

Fenerbahce substitutes: Engin Biterge, Caglar Soyuncu, Edson Alvarez, Tarik Cetin, Yigit Demir, Oguz Aydin, Talisca, Haydar Karatas

Aston Villa team vs Fenerbahce

Villa made five changes from their defeat to Everton the previous Sunday and were without goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, midfielders Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Ross Barkley and new winger Alysson.

Goalkeeper Marco Bizot came in, as did Victor Lindelof and Tyrone Mings in central defence, Lucas Digne at left-back and wideman Jadon Sancho.

Midfielder Amadou Onana returned on the bench.

Aston Villa starting XI: Marco Bizot, Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne, Jadon Sancho, Lamare Bogarde, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia, Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa substitutes: Sam Proctor, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Andres Garcia, Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, Ian Maatsen, Amadou Onana, Evann Guessand, Kadan Young, George Hemmings, James Wright

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How to watch Fenerbahce v Aston Villa: TV, live online streams

Fenerbahce vs Aston Villa kicked off at 17:45 GMT on Thursday. The match is being shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1.

An online stream will be accessible via Discovery Plus on supported devices.

Fenerbahce v Aston Villa stats

• These sides last met in the UEFA Cup in 1977, Villa winning 6-0 on aggregate in the first round on their way to the quarter-finals
• Fenerbahce have faced English opposition 20 times, winning on four occasions
• Kerem Akturkoglu has scored in three of Fenerbahce’s six games so far, netting a total of four goals
• Fener are second in the Turkish Super Lig, a point behind Galatasaray
• Villa’s last European match against a side from Tukiye saw them beat Trabzonspor 2-1 in the UEFA Cup in November 1994
• They were, however, eliminated on away goals rule in that tie after a 2-2 draw on aggregate.
• Across Matchday 5 and 6 of this season’sEuropa League, no player scored more goals than Fenerbahce’s Talisca (4)
• Talisca had scored two goals in his previous 13 Europa League games
• This will be Villa manager Unai Emery’s 100th match in the Europa League (since 2009/10), becoming the first manager to reach that milestone
• The nearest manager to Emery in terms of games in the competition is Jorge Jesus on 68
• Among players to feature in more than 20 matches in the Europa League (since 2009/10), Victor Lindelof has the best passing accuracy (93.1%)
• The Swede has only misplaced 13 of 271 passes in this season’s competition for Aston Villa (95.3% accuracy)

Aston Villa Europa League squad 2025/26

Villa’s List A Europa League squad has been registered until the round of 16 in February 2026, when clubs can add a maximum of three new players within the existing limit of 25.

Goalkeepers: Emi Martinez, Marco Bizot

Defenders: Matty Cash, Victor Lindelof, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne, Pau Torres

Midfielders: Andres García, Ian Maatsen, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Jadon Sancho, Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, Harvey Elliott

Forwards: Emi Buendia, Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, Morgan Rogers, Evann Guessand

List B submissions, comprised of players born after January 1, 2004 who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday, can also be made until midnight before each match.

Aston Villa Europa League schedule 2025/26

In a change from the previous group stage held until 2023/24, each team now plays eight matches in the league phase, all against different opponents.

The top eight sides in the table qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to reach the last 16.

Teams finishing 25th or lower are out of Europe for the season.

Knockout phase play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026

Round of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026

Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026

Semi-finals: April 28/29 and May 5/6 2026

Final: May 30 2026

When are the Europa League draws?

Knockout phase play-offs: January 30 2026

Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, and final: February 27 2026

Which English clubs are in the Europa League 2025/26?

Villa qualified by finishing sixth in 2024/25, although they would have been in the Champions League had they not lost at Manchester United on the final day.

Nottingham Forest’s participation comes after they were promoted from the Conference League because of a UEFA ruling against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

When is the Europa League final?

The final will take place on May 20 2026 at the Besiktas Stadium home of 16-time Turkish champions Besiktas.

The stadium hosted a dramatic 2019 Super Cup final, Chelsea and Liverpool each scoring once during regular and extra time before the Reds won on penalties following the 2-2 draw.