Europa League draw LIVE: Liverpool and West Ham learn quarter-final fate | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp backs Mohamed Salah to keep scoring after making Liverpool history

Liverpool will face Italian opposition in the Europa League quarter-finals in the form of Atalanta, while fellow Premier League side West Ham will take on one of the toughest teams remaining in the competition – Bayer Leverkusen – after the draw took place at Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon this afternoon.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are the slight favourites to win the tournament after thrashing Sparta Prague 11-2 in the last 16 and will play Atalanta in the quarter-finals with the first leg at Anfield, while West Ham overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to down Freiburg this week but now face another German side, with the mammoth task of Xabi Alonso’s all-conquering Leverkusen in front of them.

The first quarter-final drawn out was a tasty all-Italian clash between AC Milan and Roma, where the sides will renew a rivalry that has seen them both climb into Serie A’s top five this season, while Benfica of Portugal and French side Marseille will also do battle for a spot in the semi-finals.

If Liverpool were to beat Atalanta, they would take on the winner of Benfica-Marseille for a place in the final, while the Hammers’ reward for upsetting the odds against a Leverkusen side that haven’t lost a single game this season would be a semi-final against AC Milan or Roma.

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Could this be Arsenal’s year?

Mikel Arteta tried to put on a managerial demeanour as he congratulated his players on going the distance and beating Porto, but ultimately, he couldn’t keep the joyous smile off his face. It was all too visible as he came out of the dressing room and then sat down in front of the media.

Arteta was thrilled.

Those who speak of the exacting standards of winners might say that’s a bit much for a mere Champions League last-16 penalty shootout victory over a side Arsenal should be beating fairly easily, in the way this side have generally had their celebrations policed.

There was obviously much more to it than that. It wasn’t even that the club had reached the quarter-finals, either. It was that the team had made another crucial step, with this one admittedly a giant leap.

Lawrence Ostlere15 March 2024 17:02

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News: Madrid complain to Uefa over ‘racist insults’ directed at Vincius Jr

Real Madrid have filed a complaint with the Spanish legal authorities after “racist and hateful insults” appeared to be directed at their striker Vinicius Junior by Atletico Madrid and Barcelona fans this week.

Footage on social media appeared to show Atletico fans chanting about Vinicius in a discriminatory way prior to their side’s Champions League last 16 match against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Real have now taken steps to report it to the Spanish authorities and allege there were similar chants from Barca fans before their match against Napoli on Tuesday.

“Real Madrid has filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office against hate crimes and discrimination, for the racist and hateful insults directed towards our player Vinicius Junior in the vicinity of the Olympic Stadium of Montjuic and the Metropolitan Stadium of Madrid,” a statement from Los Blancos read.

“Real Madrid is asking the Public Prosecutor’s Office to ask the security forces for the recordings in both locations in order to identify the perpetrators of these racist and hateful insults.

“Real Madrid condemns these violent attacks of racism, discrimination and hatred that have been taking place, unfortunately repeatedly, against our player Vinicius Junior.

“Our club will continue to work in defence of the values of football and sport, and will remain firm in its fight for zero tolerance in the face of such disgusting episodes as those that continue to occur in recent times.”

Lawrence Ostlere15 March 2024 16:18