The quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League concluded this evening with some dramatic, fascinating and entertaining ties in both competitions.
With Bayern Munich facing Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in a couple of weeks, this is how the UEL and UECL semis have taken shape after this evening’s action…
Atalanta 0-1 Liverpool [3-1]
Olympique de Marseille 1-0 Benfica [2-2] (AET 1-0 PENS 4-2)
Roma 2-1 Milan [3-1]
West Ham United 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen [1-3]
Despite Mohamed Salah giving Liverpool a much-needed early lead from the penalty spot in Bergamo, Atalanta comfortably saw off the Reds after their 3-0 demolition at Anfield last week. They will take on Marseille in the semi-finals after the Ligue 1 side edged past Benfica on penalties at Stade Velodrome thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 11th goal of the UEFA Europa League season levelling things up on aggregate in normal time.
In the other side of the draw, West Ham were dominant in the first half against the new Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen but the Germans scored late on to keep their unbeaten record intact and progress into the final four. Roma, despite going down to ten men in the first-half, had a 2-0 lead on the night and a 3-0 aggregate lead over Milan at half-time of the second-leg in their all-Italian tie with the Rossoneri and eventually eased through with a 2-1 win on the night.
Semi-final draw:
Atalanta vs Olympique de Marseille
Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen
Fenerbahce 1-0 Olympiakos [3-3] (AET 1-0 PENS 2-3)
Fiorentina 0-0 Viktoria Plzen [0-0] (AET 2-0)
Lille 2-1 Aston Villa [3-3] (AET 2-1 PENS 3-4)
PAOK Salonika 0-2 Club Brugge [0-3]
After a thriller last week, Fenerbahce and Olympiakos were taken to extra-time with Fener edging it 1-0 on the night. Olympiakos, though, with last season’s UEFA Europa League winning coach Jose Luis Mendilibar at the helm, overcame the Turks on penalties in Istanbul. Aston Villa will be their semi-final opponents after Unai Emery’s men also needed penalties with Emiliano Martinez up to his old tricks in the shootout in Lille after Lille had won 2-1 on the night.
Last season’s runners’ up in this competition Fiorentina underwhelmed once again and were taken to extra-time by Viktoria Plzen after 180 goalless minutes but I Viola eventually overcame their Czech opponents by two goals to nil in the extra 30. Club Brugge pulled off a very impressive 2-0 defeat of PAOK in Thessaloniki to win 3-0 on aggregate and setup a semi-final tie with Fiorentina in a couple of weeks.
Semi-final draw:
Fenerbahce vs Aston Villa
Fiorentina vs Club Brugge