how they arrive
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Panathinaikos was in the top 8 after five rounds of this single group, but then achieved two draws against Viktoria Plzeň (0-0) and Ferencváros (1-1), thus exiting the race for direct qualification to the round of 16, but the play-offs are still assured. Roma, on the other hand, is one of the best teams in the competition, being one of only three (along with Aston Villa and Red Star Belgrade) to have won all four matches from matchdays four to seven. This allowed the Giallorossi to overcome a slow start in the single group, and now they can achieve not only their fifth consecutive victory in the Europa League for the first time since April 2021, but also access to the round of 16 for the eighth season in a row.
