Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen were drawn apart in the quarterfinals of the Europa League on Friday, setting the stage for a potential showdown only in the final.
Liverpool will face Atalanta, with the first leg taking place at Anfield on April 11, followed by the return leg in Bergamo one week later.
Meanwhile, Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen, under the guidance of former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso and enjoying an unbeaten run across all competitions this season, are set to travel to England to take on West Ham, with the first leg scheduled in London.
A potential clash between Liverpool and Leverkusen in the final holds added significance, particularly after Jürgen Klopp’s announcement in January that he will depart the English club at the season’s end.
Alonso is widely considered a top contender to succeed Klopp, having played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s Champions League triumph in 2005.
Elsewhere in the draw, AC Milan will face Roma in an all-Italian encounter, while Benfica will square off against Marseille in a meeting between former European champions.
In the semifinals, the winner of the Benfica-Marseille tie will host the first leg against either Liverpool or Atalanta, while Milan or Roma will have home advantage in the first leg against Leverkusen or West Ham.
The Europa League boasts a lineup featuring four former European champions and the victors of the Europa Conference League titles — Roma and West Ham — since the inception of the third-tier competition in 2021.
The final is scheduled to take place on May 22 in Dublin.
The draw for the Europa Conference League was set to follow later.
