Leverkusen, Roma, Atalanta, Marseille secure Europa League semi-final spots
Liverpool’s Champions League dreams came to an abrupt end on Thursday when they failed to overturn a three-goal deficit against Atalanta despite winning 1-0 in the second leg. Jurgen Klopp’s side struggled after a 3-0 first-leg win over Atalanta at Anfield.
“We won the game and that’s the reaction we wanted to show,” Klopp told TNT Sports. “It’s difficult, we knew it would be difficult. Atalanta deserve to advance, 100 per cent.”
Bayer Leverkusen, who had just celebrated their first Bundesliga title, drew 1-1 with West Ham United and advanced to the semi-finals with a total score of 3-1. Xavi Alonso’s side extended their unbeaten run to an impressive 44 games.
In the semi-finals, Leverkusen will face Roma. Roma defeated AC Milan 2-1 and advanced with a total score of 3-1. Meanwhile, Atalanta will face Marseille in a penalty shootout after beating Benfica 1-0, winning 4-2 and leveling 2-2 on aggregate.
Liverpool have already won the EFL Cup and are now aiming to win a second Premier League title under Jurgen Klopp. However, the Reds currently sit third in the table, two points behind leaders Manchester City.
While Atalanta have struggled for consistency in Serie A, they have been in strong form in the Europa League this season and Thursday’s loss marked their first defeat of the season after six wins and three draws.
Elsewhere, Roma’s Gianluca Mancini took an early lead at the Stadio Olimpico, leading his team to a 1-0 victory over AC Milan. Despite Zeki Celik’s red card for Roma, Milan could only halve the deficit with a header from Mateo Gabbia.
The Premier League’s representation in European competitions suffered another blow as Arsenal and Manchester City exited the Champions League on Wednesday, with both clubs knocked out of the Europa League. Aston Villa remains the only English club in Europe competing in the third tier of the UEFA Europa League.
