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The pairings for the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals have been announced.
Roma will take on rivals Milan in the Italian derby, while Liverpool will play Atalanta. Meanwhile, Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will take on West Ham United, while the final pairing features Portuguese powerhouse Benfica and Olympique Marseille.
The first leg of the quarterfinals will be played on Thursday, April 11 and the second leg will take place one week later, on April 18.
In the semifinals, the winner of the Benfica vs Marseille game will take on the winner of the Liverpool vs Atalanta match, while the winner of Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham will play whoever wins the clash between Italian giants Roma and Milan.
The semifinals will be played on May 2 and 9, after which the Final will take place in Dublin on May 22.
History of fixtures in the UEFA Europa League 2023-24 quarterfinals
The two Italian giants, Milan and Roma, have never faced each other in the UEFA Europa League.
Liverpool and Atalanta will play each other again for the first time since the 2020/21 season. The two teams met during group stage with the Italians winning 0-2 at Anfield in Matchday 4, and the Reds dominating in Italy in Matchday 3 (0-5).
Bayer Leverkusen and Marseille have not met in the Europa League or any European club competitions before. The two teams played a friendly game last August, where the Germans earned the 4-0 victory.
Leverkusen will look to go all the way in the Europa League and win a second major title this season, as they are frontrunners to win the Bundesliga as well.
For West Ham, it will be a major opportunity to clinch a spot in the European competitions next year without paying attention to a top 7 finish in the English Premier League.
As for Benfica and Marseille, they will face each other in the UEFA Europa League for the first time in 34 years. The last time they collided was in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League back in the 1989/1990 season, with Benfica advancing to the Final thanks to away goals (2-2 aggregate).
