Red-hot Liverpool secured their spot in the last-16 of the Europa League after a commanding 11-2 aggregate victory over Sparta Prague.
In a dominant display, Liverpool breezed into the Europa League quarter-finals with an emphatic 11-2 aggregate triumph against Sparta Prague on Thursday.
Jurgen Klopp opted to make just four changes from the lineup that featured in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the Premier League title showdown last Sunday. Fielding a formidable squad, Liverpool provided valuable minutes for Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai as they continued their paths to full fitness.
Both Salah and Szoboszlai found the back of the net in a convincing 6-1 triumph at Anfield, with Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark, and Cody Gakpo (2) also adding their names to the scoresheet.
Despite Klopp’s impending departure, Liverpool maintain their competitiveness across all three remaining competitions, setting the stage for another thrilling encounter as they prepare to face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.
The German’s tenure on Merseyside has been marked by triumphs across various competitions, yet the Europa League has remained elusive since Sevilla’s cup final victory in 2016.
Liverpool’s journey towards Dublin saw them achieve a milestone, becoming only the second team in the tournament’s history to score 11 goals in a single knockout game. Despite this, familiar opponents linger in the competition while some British counterparts have been eliminated.
Bayer Leverkusen staged yet another remarkable comeback against Qarabag, rallying from a two-goal deficit with two stoppage-time goals, leaving the Azerbaijani side heartbroken.
Benfica secured a narrow victory over Rangers with Rafa Silva’s decisive goal earning them a 1-0 away win at Ibrox. Despite a fiercely contested first-leg, Roger Schmidt’s side managed to salvage a 2-2 draw.
AC Milan advanced comfortably into the knockout rounds, dispatching Slavia Prague 7-3 on aggregate. Villarreal, led by former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, secured a 3-1 victory over Marseille in the second leg but fell short of overturning their two-goal deficit from the first leg.
West Ham redeemed their first-leg loss to SC Freiburg with an emphatic 5-0 win at the London Stadium, highlighted by Mohammed Kudus’ brace.
Atalanta, previously encountered by Liverpool in the 2020 Champions League Group Stages, progressed past Sporting CP with a 3-2 aggregate victory. Sporting CP’s exit at the Round of 16 stage has prompted speculation about their manager Ruben Amorim potentially succeeding Klopp.
Brighton & Hove Albion suffered disappointment as their historic Europa League campaign concluded with a 4-1 aggregate defeat despite Danny Welbeck’s standout performance.
When is the Europa League Quarter-final Draw?
The draw will take place on Friday, March 15 at 12pm (UK time).
Who Could Liverpool Face in the Europa League?
Benfica
Bayer Leverkusen
AC Milan
Marseille
West Ham United
Atalanta
Roma
In other Liverpool news, Liverpool Ready to Triple 47-year-old Manager’s Wage to Replace Jurgen Klopp Amid Competition