Liverpool will meet Italian club Atalanta in the quarterfinals of this season’s Europa League, while AC Milan will face AS Roma in an all-Italian clash.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who are still in contention for a quadruple this season, will host Atalanta at Anfield on April 11 before traveling to Italy a week later.
The Reds defeated Sparta Prague 11-2 on aggregate in the last 16 and will be favourites to upset Atalanta, who are presently sixth in Serie A.
The clubs met in the Champions League group stage in 2020/21, with Liverpool winning 5-0 away in Bergamo and Atalanta won 2-0 at Anfield.
Leverkusen are having an outstanding season under former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, who is one of the leading candidates to succeed Klopp as manager at Anfield when the German leaves at the end of the season.
Leverkusen, who won the UEFA Cup, the Europa League’s precursor, in 1988, has not lost a game this season and leads the Bundesliga by ten points with nine games remaining.
Their unbeaten streak came close to being snapped on Thursday, when they trailed 2-1 in injury time at home to Qarabag before rallying to win 3-2 against Azerbaijan.
That allowed them to win their last-16 tie 5-4 on aggregate.
Leverkusen will face West Ham United — last season’s Europa Conference League winners — in the quarter-finals, with the English side having beaten another German club in Freiburg in the last round.
The winners of that tie will advance to a semi-final against either AC Milan or Roma, who will face off in an all-Italian last-eight tie.
The other quarter-final brings together two former European champions, with Marseille taking on Benfica.
Whoever wins that will play either Liverpool or Atalanta in the last four.
This season’s Europa League final will be played in Dublin on May 22.
Europa League Quarter-finals
AC Milan (ITA) v Roma (ITA)
Liverpool (ENG) v Atalanta (ITA)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER) v West Ham United (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Marseille (FRA)
– First legs to be played April 11, second legs April 18
Semi-finals
Benfica or Marseille v Liverpool or Atalanta
AC Milan or Roma v Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham United
– First legs to be played May 2, second legs May 9