Roma welcome AC Milan to Stadio Olimpico
Concluding an all-Italian tie in the Europa League quarter-finals, Roma welcome AC Milan to Stadio Olimpico on Thursday evening, with a slim lead in hand from last week’s first leg.
Milan had won both Serie A meetings this season, but the Giallorossi’s 1-0 success in the second city puts them closer to meeting either West Ham United or new German champions Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals.
After reaching two UEFA finals in as many years, Roma’s aim of making this season’s Europa League decider in Dublin is very much alive following events at San Siro last Thursday.
Having won the inaugural Europa Conference League in 2022, before being edged out by Sevilla in UEFA’s second-tier competition 12 months later, the Giallorossi became battle-hardened under former coach Jose Mourinho, and they channelled his spirit to leave Milan with an advantage.
Occupying fifth place in the Serie A standings, Roma are targeting Champions League football for next term, but they could alternatively secure a spot in the expanded competition by winning this year’s Europa League.
While both teams are capable of scoring from several different sources, the hosts have recently shown some resilience at the back and are particularly tough to beat in the capital.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Liverpool face a mountainous hill as they travel to Atalanta
Staring down the barrel of Europa League elimination, Liverpool have a mountainous hill to climb when they visit the Gewiss Stadium for the second leg of their quarter-final with Atalanta on Thursday night.
La Dea left Anfield dumbstruck with an astonishing 3-0 success in last week’s opening fixture, although the Reds are no strangers to overturning seemingly unassailable deficits on the continent.
Fresh from dumping out Sporting Lisbon, Atalanta returned to English shores for a three-year reunion with the Reds, whom they memorably managed to conquer at Anfield in the 2020-21 Champions League group stage. Atalanta were unable to carry last Thursday’s momentum forward to the weekend’s Serie A battle with Hellas Verona, though – letting a 2-0 lead slip in a 2-2 home draw – and the shock beating of Liverpool represents only the hosts’ third win from their last 11 contests across all competitions.
Liverpool’s plight continued in a similarly agonising Premier League home beating at the hands of Crystal Palace on Sunday. The time is nigh for Liverpool to rediscover their cutting edge – which the ice-cool Jota should certainly help to provide – and Atalanta’s domestic defending has often left a lot to be desired.
Gasperini’s men have always been heralded for their scintillating offensive play, though, and while Liverpool might manage a consolation win on the night, Atalanta can capitalise on gaps opening up to ensure that Klopp will leave Anfield without ever lifting the Europa League trophy aloft.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
West Ham host new German champions Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen now seek to finish the job in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final with West Ham United on Thursday evening. The newly-crowned German champions strolled past David Moyes‘s men 2-0 in last week’s opening battle, although their hosts already have one comeback win over a Bundesliga outfit under their belt in 2024.
The London Stadium faithful are unlikely to be holding out hope of another second-leg turnaround if Sunday’s showing against Fulham is anything to go by. Boasting just one success from their last six matches in all competitions during an indifferent run of form, the Hammers have just two wins to show from 10 home contests in 2024, and they have been knocked out of their last two European ties when losing the first leg by at least two goals.
The Europa Conference League champions can take significant encouragement from an 11-game home winning run in continental matches, but such statistics may pale into triviality against the irrepressible juggernaut of Bayer Leverkusen.
The weekend’s energy-sapping title celebrations may be felt by Alonso’s men at the London Stadium, but the German champions have a near fully-fit squad and plenty of candidates for rotation, which spells serious danger for a ravaged West Ham outfit.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Marseille, Benfica faceoff in Europa League quarter-finals
Marseille seek an end to a wretched losing run when they welcome Benfica to the Orange Velodrome in Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg.
Les Olympiens’ upswing after Jean-Louis Gasset‘s arrival is well and truly over, with the Ligue 1 side unable to string results together in recent weeks, and they host an in-form crop that have lost just once in nine games.
Gasset’s arrival at Marseille caused a difference in performances and results, but the Ligue 1 side have been brought back down to earth with the recent five losses in all competitions.
Marseille returning to winning ways is the higher ambition, as they seek to take advantage of having last weekend off in Ligue 1 to overturn a deficit on the continent for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign.
Both sides have suffered setbacks on the continent in recent years, but they head into this week’s quarter-final second leg knowing they have the opportunity to end their respective dispiriting streaks.
While Marseille have won four and drawn one of their five Europa League games at the Velodrome this season, averaging 3.2 goals per game, the impact of recent defeats and injury worries could hinder Gasset’s men. Thus, Benfica are backed to make it into the Europa League semis where they would face Liverpool or Atalanta.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
FIXTURES
Roma 20:00 Milan
Atalanta 20:00 Liverpool
West Ham United 20:00 Bayer Leverkusen
Olympique Marseille 20:00 Benfica
