What to look out for in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second legs

Roma have a narrow advantage as they welcome Milan in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final deciders, Leverkusen have a 2-0 lead to defend in London, while the dream looks impossible for Liverpool.

In this piece presented by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, we pick out some key talking points ahead of the second legs. Remember: Every mission matters.

Thursday 18 April
Roma vs Milan (21:00 CET)
Atalanta vs Liverpool (21:00 CET)
West Ham vs Leverkusen (21:00 CET)
Marseille vs Benfica (21:00 CET)

What to look out for

Will Roma hold on against Milan?
Having scored the only goal in the Rome derby the previous weekend, Gianluca Mancini popped up again at the San Siro, the defender heading Roma in front in their all-Italian Europa League quarter-final against Milan. A tough enough side to beat under José Mourinho, they seem to have become even more resilient since club great Daniele De Rossi took charge in January, winning games even when big hitters Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala have not been scoring.

Milan, though, will not give up on their Europa League dream without a fight. Second in Serie A, they have little chance of wresting the title away from league leaders Inter and will be smarting after losing to Roma for the first time in the 2020s (W6 D3). "We're disappointed, but it's not over," defender Matteo Gabbia maintained. "We have faith for the second leg."

Can Liverpool conjure up the Miracle of Bergamo?
The Europa League final taking place in a Liverpool stronghold, Dublin, at the end of Jürgen Klopp's final season in charge seemed to offer almost too perfect a storyline. However, after a 3-0 home loss to Atalanta in their quarter-final opener, even the most optimistic Liverpool fans would have to concede that it is not looking great for the Reds.

Then again, it's Liverpool, and it's Europe. Remember the Miracle of Istanbul, when they came back from 3-0 down to beat Milan on penalties in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final? Or that time in 2018/19 when Klopp's side lost 3-0 at Barcelona then won the return leg 4-0? And what happened in their last game in Bergamo? They won 5-0. "I know already that if we do a couple of things better, we will be better," Klopp said after the first leg. "Can we win it? Yes, if we play well, it is possible. Can we win 3-0? I have no idea."

Leverkusen still chasing the dream
Liverpool were not the only side to come into the last eight dreaming of a treble, with Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen still on course for three trophies, including a first-ever Bundesliga title. UEFA Cup winners in 1987/88, the Werkself were four-time runners-up in the Bundesliga between 1996/97 and 2001/02, culminating in the 2001/02 campaign when they lost in the German Cup and Champions League finals, having also lost the league title to Dortmund by a single point.

They definitively scratched that itch this weekend as they confirmed their first title success with a 5-0 victory against Werder Bremen. They are also set to take on second-tier Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on 25 May. That game comes three days after the Europa League showpiece. To get there, they have to first maintain their 2-0 lead against West Ham in London (no small ask), and then eliminate Roma or Milan in the semis. It has already been a great season; could it end up being a truly amazing one?

Where is the 2024 UEFA Europa League final being played?

©Getty Images

The 2023/24 UEFA Europa League season will conclude at Dublin Arena in the Republic of Ireland on 22 May 2024.

With a capacity in excess of 50,000, Dublin Arena is the home of the Republic of Ireland's national football team and Ireland's rugby union team. First opened in 2010, the stadium will be staging its second UEFA Europa League decider, having been the venue for the all-Portuguese final of 2011 between Porto and Braga, when Radamel Falcao scored the only goal as the Dragons took the trophy.