Leverkusen, Benfica, Milan, Roma, Atalanta, Marseille, Liverpool and West Ham are the eight teams participating in the quarter-finals, of which Italy contributes three teams. This is in contrast to the Champions League where Serie A teams have all been eliminated.
Liverpool is still a bright candidate for the championship, considering the destructive form they have shown at Europe’s number two playground this season. Before crushing Sparta Prague 11-2 in the eighth round, coach Jurgen Klopp’s team easily passed the group stage with four victories.
According to a British bookmaker, the championship odds for Liverpool are the highest, 6/5 (bet 5 to 6), followed by Leverkusen 10/3. Milan has odds of 6/1, and the remaining teams all have a chance of making a profit of 10 times the bet or more if they win.
Coach Jurgen Klopp celebrated at Anfield on March 14, after Liverpool defeated Sparta Prague in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Photo: Reuters
Leverkusen struggled the most when they were led by Azerbaijan Qarabag with a total score of 4-3 until the second minute of overtime in the second half, in the return match on the evening of March 14 in Germany. Xabi Alonso’s army also faced their first defeat of the season, in all competitions. However, striker Patrik Schick shined with a double in five minutes of extra time , helping Leverkusen beat Qarabag 5-4 to enter the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals no longer have any teams outside of the Top 6 leading European national leagues, but also lack La Liga representatives. Of the eight teams advancing, only Liverpool and Leverkusen have won the Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup. Benfica and Marseille both lost three finals, and Roma also lost two matches for the title. The remaining teams, Milan, Atalanta and West Ham, have never reached the finals of the tournament.
The draw for the quarter-final matches will take place at 7:00 p.m. Friday, March 15, Hanoi time. Every team has the ability to meet each other, regardless of the same league or group. The team drawn first will play the first leg at home, the team drawn next will play away. The first leg of the quarterfinals takes place on April 11, with the return leg a week later.
