An analysis of the UEFA Europa League 2024 quarter-finals.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are strong favourites to lift their first UEL title - they need to get past Atalanta and perhaps Benfica to qualify for Dublin.
Their closest rivals could be unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen who are on course for the Bundesliga under the guidance of ex-Reds player Xabi Alonso.
Or could Daniele De Rossi's cup holders Roma spring a surprise?
AC Milan v AS Roma.
Stefano Pioli’s Milan are favoured in this all-Italian quarter-final having beaten the Gallarossi twice this season and also having a much more successful league campaign.
However Roma are the holders of the UEL having beaten Sevilla in the 2023 final.
Milan’s path to this stage came after they dropped down from the Champions League before they, fairly comfortably, eliminated Rennes and Slavia Prague.
Whereas Roma struggled against Feyenoord but then easily defeated Premier League Brighton at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Rossoneri have a mix of French (Hernandez, Maignan, Kalulu, plus the ageless Olivier Giroud) and English (Tomori, Loftus-Cheek) talent to go with the local players.
While Roma have one of the leading scorers, and somewhat of a UEL specialist, in Romelu Lukaku and the mercurial skills of Paulo Dybala.
Guided by the formidable Daniele De Rossi, Roma might just overcome the odds in this domestic encounter.
Liverpool v Atalanta.
What better way for the departing Jurgen Klopp to guide Liverpool to a first Europa League crown (though they have won three UEFA Cups) in Dublin.
It would allow the many Reds fans, in a city with historic connections to Merseyside, to salute their now almost legendary coach.
Before then they will have to get past Atlanta and perhaps Benfica to reach the final.
But the odds are very much in their favour although they will have to face the passion of the Stadio Di Bergamo in the second leg of this last eight match.
Prior to that they could well have built up a sizeable advantage based on the attacking power of Salah, Nunez and Diaz fed by a talented range of midfielders and backed by the solidity of van Dijk and co. in defence.
The Nerazzurri have nowhere near the high profile names of their opposition but they do have highly rated young centre back Giorgio Scalvini and ex-EPL attackers Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca.
However, it would be a major shock if Liverpool didn’t progress and indeed go on to lift the title in Ireland’s capital.
Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham.
This is probably the most intriguing last-eight matchup.
As it will showcase Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Leverkusen against David Moyes’ Europa Conference League holders.
Alonso is almost certain to guide his charges to their first-ever Bundesliga title as they lie well clear of Bayern Munich.
The Germans have plenty of European experience including winning the UEFA Cup back in 1988 and they are considered favourites to beat their Premier League opponents.
Having surprised many with their rapid rise to the top in Germany, names such as Frimpong, Grimaldo, Palacios, and the highly-rated Florian Wirtz are soon likely to become more familiar to fans in London and beyond.
And they have the undoubted talent of Czech striker Patrik Schick to score goals.
Whether the Spaniard and his team can live up to the expectation will be tested by West Ham.
Who can put together threats through the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paquetta and via the set piece skills of James Ward-Prowse.
The Londoners disposed of another Bundesliga side in Freiburg to get to this stage and they have a coach, in Moyes, who has shown he can negotiate his way past European opposition.
Many pundits will be fascinated to see if Leverkusen are as good as they seem and if Alonso could live up to the hype.
Perhaps the ever pragmatic Moyes can upset the odds.
Benfica v Marseille.
These two are the outsiders of the remaining eight contenders with the Lisbon team given the slight edge to knockout OM.
The Eagles just about got past Toulouse and then Rangers to reach this quarter-final and though they have a storied history in Europe it is a very long time since the days of Eusebio when they were claiming the European Cup.
Marseille have had more recent success including appearing in the 2018 UEL final but they currently stand well outside the European qualification places in Ligue 1.
Having come second in their group behind Brighton but ahead of Ajax OM managed to fight off a comeback from Villarreal to set up this tie.
What they do have is the leading scorer in 34-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the two top assist-makers in Amine Harit and Jonathan Clauss.
But as well as scoring plenty Jean-Louis Gasset’s side also concede plenty which should mean these encounters will be very entertaining for the neutrals.
Hoping to stop the attacks will be Benfica’s young defender Antonio Silva and defensive midfielder Joao Neves while Brazilians David Neres and Marcos Leonardo provide the threats in attack.
As usual with a top Portuguese team there is likely to be numerous Premier League scouts eyeing up the potential future stars.
Although Marseille will host the second leg at the always atmospheric Velodrome Roger Schmidt’s team might just have the edge.
Analysis - John Bethell
For almost a decade African Soccer News has been covering and reporting on African soccer both at home and worldwide.
African Soccer News is at the forefront of reporting on games worldwide and featuring articles that are both informative and newsworthy.
African Soccer News is the leading journal of African Soccer and African players worldwide.