Today's football picks for 12 Mar 2026: analysis of 3 promising matches in 2 European cups, today's football schedule.
On 11 March 2026, today's football picks focus on two European cup competitions—the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League—which feature three English Premier League teams competing. Let's follow the football analysis and insights on three interesting matches as follows.
- Europa League round of 16, first leg / Kickoff at 00:45 Thai time.
This is the fifth meeting between the two clubs across all competitions. Aston Villa leads with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, having won five consecutive Europa League group stage matches before this game. However, their recent form is worrying, with only 1 win in the last 7 games (4 losses and 2 draws). Unai Emery is aiming for his fifth Europa League title; notably, in his last seven attempts managing teams in this competition, he has never been eliminated at the round of 16 stage. Still, he faces challenges due to the absence of key drivers John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, and Youri Tielemans.
Lille reached the round of 16 with difficulty, finishing 18th in the group stage with 4 wins and 4 losses, then winning the playoff against Crvena Zvezda 2-1 on aggregate after extra time. Their recent form has improved, remaining unbeaten in 4 matches (3 wins and 1 draw). However, in their last 8 home games, they have only 2 wins (4 losses and 2 draws). Additionally, they have 5 injured players. Their record against English teams is not strong, with only 3 wins in the last 19 matches (5 draws and 11 losses). If their attack lacks sharpness, a draw is likely.
Insight A draw in the first leg is expected.
- Europa League round of 16, first leg / Kickoff at 03:00 Thai time.
"The Tricky Trees" (Nottingham Forest) have a chance to avenge their 2-3 home loss to Midtjylland in the group stage's second round last October. At that time, Ange Postecoglou was the coach. The new coach, Vitor Pereira, led the team past a tough challenge against Fenerbahçe in the playoffs, winning 3-0 away before losing 1-2 at home, but still advancing. However, Forest have failed to win in their last 4 matches (3 losses and 1 draw) and have 8 injured players. They will rely heavily on Igor Jesus, the joint top scorer in this Europa League season with 7 goals.
Midtjylland has been a surprise in the tournament, finishing third in the group stage behind Lyon and Aston Villa with 6 wins, 1 draw, and only a loss to Roma. Their last 8 matches across all competitions are solid, with 5 wins and 3 draws, remaining unbeaten. They have faced English teams 5 times in European cups and won twice—against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United in the Europa League round of 32 first leg in 2016. However, they will miss key striker Franckolino, who scored 21 goals, and Dario Osorio due to suspension. This gives Forest a good chance to take the lead.
Insight Nottingham Forest expected to edge a win in the first leg.
- UEFA Conference League round of 16, first leg / Kickoff at 03:00 Thai time.
"The Eagles" remain the top favorite to win this tournament, although they won only 3, drew 1, and lost 2 of their 6 group stage matches. They advanced through the playoffs, beating Zrinjski 3-1 on aggregate. Their European home record this season shows 5 matches with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss—the loss was to AEK Larnaca in the group stage. For this match, they will miss attacking right-back Daniel Muñoz and have 4 injured players overall. The good news is that Jean-Philippe Mateta, their key striker, has recovered from a knee injury after missing 8 matches.
AEK Larnaca from Cyprus have reached the Conference League round of 16 for the second time in four seasons. They were previously heavily defeated 6-0 on aggregate by West Ham, the 2022-23 champions. This season, they are one of three unbeaten teams in the group stage with 3 draws and 3 wins, boasting the best defense by conceding only 1 goal. However, their recent form has faltered with 2 losses and 1 draw before their latest league win. They have 4 injured players and scored only 7 goals in the group stage. It appears that Palace will get their revenge this time.
Insight Crystal Palace expected to claim a narrow revenge victory.