Games are made ! Friday March 15 in Nyon (Switzerland), UEFA drew the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Marseille will face Portuguese club Benfica, second in their championship. Reversed from the Champions League, Benfica already has three Europa League finals to its credit. The Phocaeans avoid Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, currently leading the English and German championships, and will have the benefit of playing the return match at home.
Olympique de Marseille will thus have the opportunity to take revenge, thirty-four years after its controversial elimination from the Champions League in 1990 by the Portuguese club. While OM had won the first leg (2-1), Vata had scored a goal with his hand during the return match (1-0), slamming, seven minutes from the end, the door to the final in nose of the Phocaeans.
If they qualified for the semi-finals, the Marseillais would face the winner of the double confrontation between Liverpool and Atalanta Bergamo. On the menu for the other two quarters, an Italian derby, since AC Milan will face AS Roma, and a poster between Bayer Leverkusen, leader of the Bundesliga, and the surprising English club West Ham.
In the round of 16 return, Thursday March 14, OM came close to sinking in a match which took on the appearance of a comeback when Villarreal, crushed 4-0 during the first act, led 3-0, before Jonathan Clauss reduced the lead. score in added time (3-1).
Held in check at home (2-2), Benfica, for its part, managed to validate its presence in the quarters by winning 1-0 against Glasgow Rangers.
The Europa League quarter-finals will be played on Thursday April 11 and 18. The final of the competition will be played on May 22 at the Dublin Arena, Ireland.
- The quarter-final table
AC Milan–AS Roma
Liverpool FC–Atalanta Bergamo
Bayer Leverkusen–West Ham United FC
Benfica Lisbon–Olympique de Marseille
- The semi-final table :
Benfica Lisbon or Olympique de Marseille–Liverpool FC or Atalanta Bergamo
AC Milan or AS Roma–Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham
Fearsome draw for Lille in the Europa Conference League
For its first participation in a European Cup quarter-final, LOSC pulled the heavyweight of this phase of the competition: Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who eliminated Ajax of Amsterdam, thanks to a return match won (4-0). The Basque coach, at the head of the current fourth in the Premier League, is a specialist in the big nights of European cups, having won four Europa Leagues (three with Sevilla FC and one with Villarreal).
Lille will also have the benefit of the return match at home. If they qualify, Paulo Fonseca’s group would meet the winner of the confrontations between the Greeks FC Olympiakos and the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. Both are playing for the title in their respective championships.
In the round of 16, LOSC, author of an away demonstration, dismissed the Austrians from Sturm Graz (3-0), thanks in particular to a double from the in-form man, Jonathan David. During the return match, Thursday March 14, Lille was content to manage their advantage (1-1).
The first legs will be played on April 11, and the return matches on April 18. The semi-finals will take place on May 2 and 9. Note that with two Greek clubs still in the running, the table drawn this Friday March 15 could result in a Greek final on May 29 at the Agia Sofia stadium… in Athens, Greece.
- The quarter-final table
Club Brugge–PAOK FC
FC Olympiakos–Fenerbahçe SK
Aston Villa–LOSC Lille
FC Viktoria Plzen–ACF Fiorentina
- The semi-final table
Aston Villa or LOSC Lille–FC Olympiakos or Fenerbahçe SK
FC Viktoria Plzen or ACF Fiorentina–Club Brugge or PAOK FC