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LIVERPOOL will play Serie A side Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals while Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen take on West Ham United.
This was confirmed after the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals draw was held at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.
Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool side are on the hunt for another trophy before the manager leaves at the end of the season, and could be on course to face Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen in the final.
Alonso, a former Liverpool midfielder, is one of the men tipped to replace Klopp at Anfield.
Liverpool previously faced Atalanta in the group stage of the 2020-21 Champions League, losing 2-0 at home but enjoying a 5-0 victory in Italy.
AC Milan are looking to win the trophy for the first time and they will face last season’s beaten finalists AS Roma in an all-Italian clash.
Milan are second in Serie A, 16 points behind Inter Milan, while Roma are down in fifth, but they are a rejuvenated side since Daniele De Rossi replaced Jose Mourinho, with six wins in eight league games.
Benfica were drawn against French side Olympique de Marseille, and both clubs have reached the final of the competition three times.
The winners of that quarter-final match will face either Liverpool or Atalanta in the semis.
The other semi-final will see an Italian side, Milan or Roma, come up against Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham.
West Ham won last season’s Conference League and reached the semi-final of the Europa League in 2022, but they face a tough task against Leverkusen.
The German side are unbeaten across 37 games in all competitions this season.
Leverkusen, 10 points clear in the Bundesliga, kept their unbeaten run going and scraped through to the quarter-finals on Thursday.
This was when they came from 2-0 down to beat Qarabag 3-2, ensuring a 5-4 aggregate win.
The Europa League final will be held on May 22 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
QUARTER-FINALS:
Quarter final 1: AC Milan v AS Roma
Quarter final 2: Liverpool v Atalanta
Quarter final 3: Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham United
Quarter final 4: Benfica v Olympique de Marseille
* Team drawn first hosts the first leg
* First legs: April 11
* Second legs: April 18
SEMI-FINAL DRAW
Semi-final 1: Benfica/Marseille v Liverpool/Atalanta
Semi-final 2: AC Milan/Roma v Bayer Leverkusen/West Ham
* Team drawn first hosts the first leg
* First legs: May 2
* Second legs: May 9
Final holds at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on May 22. (Reuters/NAN)
A.I
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