Woah, woah, woah. Wait a minute, that can’t be right. Where is Liverpool?
It must be a mistake, right? Is Liverpool just “Atalanta” in Italian? NO?! But the Reds’ success in Dublin was inevitable, wasn’t it?
Liverpool’s failure to reach the Europa League semi-finals would have been hard to believe at the time the quarter-final draw was made, but Atalanta’s stirring performance at Anfield set Gian Piero Gasperini’s side up for their most memorable continental triumph.
As in the Champions League, there is no English representative in the last four in the Europa League after West Ham’s elimination.
The Italians are once again teaching the rest of the continent how to win knockout games, while Germany’s new dominant force and a historic giant from France form the competition’s remaining participants.
Here’s how 90min assumes that the semi-final first legs of the Europa League will come to an end.
Thursday, May 2nd
Both first legs begin at 20:00 (GMT) on Thursday, with Marseille facing Liverpool’s Atalanta and AS Roma facing Bayer Leverkusen in a repeat of last season’s semi-final.
Leverkusen are now favorites to win the competition after leaping over a banana peel at West Ham. Xabi Alonso’s side have matured significantly since facing Jose Mourinho’s Giallorossi last season.
Daniele De Rossi is now in charge of Roma and the former midfielder enjoyed a successful start to his coaching career in Rome. His team is varied, stubborn and blessed with a game-breaker in Paulo Dybala. They are built to succeed in Europe, but Leverkusen are the ultimate challenge due to their meticulous dynamism, harmonious balance and never-say-die attitude.
However, the Romans are difficult to beat at the Olimpico and the visitors on Thursday may have to come back in the second leg to make it to the final.
Marseille’s performance in the quarter-finals was not quite as convincing as Atalanta’s and they are the underdogs in the other semi-final. The French club has numerous pedigrees, but this is far from a classic version of OM.
They currently sit seventh in Ligue 1 but are unbeaten in four games. Things will be hectic at the velodrome when Atalanta visit, but La Dea have no fear as they won at Anfield in the last eight. Gasperini’s stars have found their form during the crisis, but they have generally struggled away from home this season.
Atalanta certainly won’t go out with a whimper, but they could still have some work to do in the second leg.
|
Kick-off time (BST) |
contraption |
forecast |
|---|---|---|
|
8:00 p.m |
Marseille against Atalanta |
1-1 |
|
8:00 p.m |
AS Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen |
2-1 |