Liverpool to face Atalanta in Europa League quarter-final
- Liverpool saw off Sparta Prague 11-2 on aggregate to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals
- Reds handed a draw with Atalanta in final eight of the competition
- Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen take on West Ham
By Tom Gott
Liverpool have been drawn against Atalanta in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
The Reds lived up to their status as tournament favourites with an emphatic 11-2 aggregate victory over Sparta Prague in the last 16. Thursday's 6-1 triumph featured four goals in the first 15 minutes as Jurgen Klopp's side went out to send a message.
Their reward for that performance is a meeting with Atalanta. Currently sixth in Serie A, they saw off Sporting CP to get to this stage of the competition.
Right-back Conor Bradley told TNT Sports after the win over Sparta he is particularly determined to hand Klopp as many trophies as possible before his departure.
"He's been the only manager I've known at this club, so for him to be leaving is sad," Bradley said. "We just want to win every trophy we can for him and give him the best send-off we can."
Elsewhere, Liverpool fans will have their eyes on Bayer Leverkusen. Led by Xabi Alonso - the favourite to replace Klopp - the German side will do battle with West Ham United for a spot in the semi-finals.
There's an all-Serie A affair as AC Milan were drawn against Roma, while Benfica will take on Marseille in the final fixture of the round.
Should Liverpool advance from their tie with Atalanta, they will face the winners of Benfica vs Marseille for a spot in the final.
Europa League quarter-final draw in full
- AC Milan vs Roma
- Liverpool vs Atalanta
- Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham United
- Benfica vs Marseille
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