ISTANBUL (AP) — The Europa League returns after a break with a leading trio of Aston Villa, Lyon and Midtjylland seeking away wins to close on automatic qualification to the round of 16 on Thursday.
The three are tied on points from five wins and a loss with two games to go in the league phase. Like in the Champions League, the top eight finishers advance automatically after eight rounds.
Villa may have the toughest encounter by traveling to Istanbul to meet Fenerbahce that is near to the top eight spots in 12th. The unlikely title challenger in the Premier League will miss injured captain John McGinn as it hopes to recover from a surprise 1-0 defeat to Everton at Villa Park on Sunday, a first home loss since Aug. 31.
Lyon plays Young Boys in Bern while Midtjylland is at Norwegian side Brann in Bergen. The hosts are 21st and 22nd in the table, respectively.
The teams placed from nine to 24 enter a two-leg playoff to progress.
Among other matches, Nottingham Forest at 11th is away at seventh-placed Braga while Roma (10th) and Stuttgart (ninth) who are tied on points meet at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Everton's Thierno Barry, center, Aston Villa's Pau Torres, left, and Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Everton in Birmingham, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.(AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Several countries have said they will join U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, while a few European nations have declined their invitations. Many have not yet responded to Trump's invites.
Chaired by Trump, the board was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. But the Trump administration’s ambitions have since expanded, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting at the board’s future role as conflict mediator.
A White House official has said about 30 countries were expected to join the board, without providing details, while about 50 had been invited.
Here is a tally by The Associated Press on what countries are joining, which are not and which are undecided.
— Argentina
— Armenia
— Azerbaijan
— Bahrain
— Belarus
— Egypt
— Hungary
— Indonesia
— Jordan
— Kazakhstan
— Kosovo
— Morocco
— Pakistan
— Qatar
— Saudi Arabia
— Turkey
— United Arab Emirates
— Uzbekistan
— Vietnam
— France
— Norway
— Slovenia
— Sweden
— The United Kingdom
— Cambodia
— China
— Croatia
— Germany
— India
— Italy
— The European Union's executive arm
— Paraguay
— Russia
— Singapore
— Thailand
— Ukraine
Palestinian women line up to receive donated food at a community kitchen in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Young Palestinians play volleyball at a tent camp sheltering displaced families in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian women receive donated food at a community kitchen in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
