It was a crazy night of football in the Europa League third-round qualifiers on Thursday (Aug 15) after Ajax advanced to the playoff round. The crazy win went down as a football moment of the year after a staggering 34 penalties were needed to settle the tie in the shootout win for Ajax against Greek side Panathinaikos. In the end, Ajax won the tie 13-12 and had goalkeeper Remko Pasveer to thank who made five saves in the shootout.

<h2>Ajax fail to win in normal time</h2>

Having won the first leg in Athens 1-0, Ajax needed a draw to reach the playoff round of the Europa League. They were on the brink of the next round until the 89th minute of the second leg&nbsp;as they were drawing Panathinaikos 0-0 and advancing with an aggregate score of 1-0. However, the Greek side scored an 89th minute goal which saw the score level on aggregate and take the tie to extra time.

The sides were not separated after the extra time, meaning a penalty shootout was forced to determine the winner.

<h2>Penalty shootout drama</h2>

With the tie ending on level terms, the shootout produced more drama as a crazy spell of penalties took place. Panathinaikos took the first penalty of the shootout and missed on their opening chance, meaning Ajax had the advantage to win. With the score 4-4 after nine penalties (five from Panathinaikos, four from the home side) Ajax had the opportunity to win the tie on the 10th penalty. However, Ajax’s Brian Brobbey missed the opportunity to win the tie as he missed his penalty. 
 
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The match went into sudden death, where Ajax would again miss two match-winning penalties. Interestingly, both goalkeepers also took part in the shootout and scored for their sides. After 11 penalties, the shootout sequence was repeated and needed few players to take penalties again. Interestingly, Brobbey who missed earlier in the shootout missed again adding to the frustration.

With Panathinaikos missing the 33rd penalty in the shootout, Ajax finally closed the tie with the winning penalty on the 34th attempt. Ajax’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Pasveer made five saves and scored a penalty to win the contest for his side.

It was a crazy night of football in the Europa League third-round qualifiers on Thursday (Aug 15) after Ajax advanced to the playoff round. The crazy win went down as a football moment of the year after a staggering 34 penalties were needed to settle the tie in the shootout win for Ajax against Greek side Panathinaikos.

It was a crazy night of football in the Europa League third-round qualifiers on Thursday (Aug 15) after Ajax advanced to the playoff round. The crazy win went down as a football moment of the year after a staggering 34 penalties were needed to settle the tie in the shootout win for Ajax against Greek side Panathinaikos. In the end, Ajax won the tie 13-12 and had goalkeeper Remko Pasveer to thank who made five saves in the shootout. Ajax fail to win in normal time Having won the first leg in Athens 1-0, Ajax needed a draw to reach the playoff round of the Europa League. They were on the brink of the next round until the 89th minute of the second leg as they were drawing Panathinaikos 0-0 and advancing with an aggregate score of 1-0. However, the Greek side scored an 89th minute goal which saw the score level on aggregate and take the tie to extra time. The sides were not separated after the extra time, meaning a penalty shootout was forced to determine the winner. Penalty shootout drama With the tie ending on level terms, the shootout produced more drama as a crazy spell of penalties took place. Panathinaikos took the first penalty of the shootout and missed on their opening chance, meaning Ajax had the advantage to win. With the score 4-4 after nine penalties (five from Panathinaikos, four from the home side) Ajax had the opportunity to win the tie on the 10th penalty. However, Ajax’s Brian Brobbey missed the opportunity to win the tie as he missed his penalty. ALSO READ | ‘I am struggling with my anxiety, I have nightmares, flashbacks’ – Flintoff recalls horrific road crash The match went into sudden death, where Ajax would again miss two match-winning penalties. Interestingly, both goalkeepers also took part in the shootout and scored for their sides. After 11 penalties, the shootout sequence was repeated and needed few players to take penalties again. Interestingly, Brobbey who missed earlier in the shootout missed again adding to the frustration. With Panathinaikos missing the 33rd penalty in the shootout, Ajax finally closed the tie with the winning penalty on the 34th attempt. Ajax’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Pasveer made five saves and scored a penalty to win the contest for his side.

Unbelievable! Ajax advance to Europa League playoffs after crazy 13-12 penalty shootout win

UEFA on Friday said Manchester City and Girona can both enter the Champions League and Manchester United and Nice can play in the Europa League after addressing multi-club ownership concerns.

Premier League champions City and Girona are both part of the City Group, while Jim Ratcliffe who owns 25 per cent of FA Cup winners United also controls Nice through his Ineos company.

UEFA said it had accepted the admission of the four clubs into next season's European competitions, after previously opening proceedings into them for potential conflict with its&nbsp;ownership rules, "following the implementation of significant changes by the concerned investors in Girona FC and OGC Nice".&nbsp;

"The clubs were able to demonstrate that such changes brought them into compliance with the multi-club ownership rule," UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) said in a statement.

"No one is simultaneously involved, directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition."

"No one has control or decisive influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition."

"The significant changes made to the ownership, governance, and financial support of the concerned clubs, substantially restrict the investors' influence and decision-making power over more than one club."

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It said City Group, which owned a 47 percent stake in Girona, and Ineos had transferred their shares to "independent trustees through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the CFCB First Chamber" until July 2025.&nbsp;

UEFA said that the clubs had also promised not to make any new player transfers to each other, either permanently or on loan, until September 2025 and would not cooperate commercially or on coaching or scouting.

When the stakes are returned next July, the clubs will again need to take steps to satisfy UEFA rules.&nbsp;

Last year, UEFA&nbsp;investigated three cases involving Toulouse and AC Milan, English club Aston Villa and Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes, and Premier League Brighton and Union Royale Saint-Gilloise of Belgium.

UEFA on Friday said Manchester City and Girona can both enter the Champions League and Manchester United and Nice can play in the Europa League after addressing multi-club ownership concerns.

UEFA on Friday said Manchester City and Girona can both enter the Champions League and Manchester United and Nice can play in the Europa League after addressing multi-club ownership concerns. Premier League champions City and Girona are both part of the City Group, while Jim Ratcliffe who owns 25 per cent of FA Cup winners United also controls Nice through his Ineos company. UEFA said it had accepted the admission of the four clubs into next season's European competitions, after previously opening proceedings into them for potential conflict with its ownership rules, "following the implementation of significant changes by the concerned investors in Girona FC and OGC Nice". "The clubs were able to demonstrate that such changes brought them into compliance with the multi-club ownership rule," UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) said in a statement. "No one is simultaneously involved, directly or indirectly, in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition." "No one has control or decisive influence over more than one club participating in a UEFA club competition." "The significant changes made to the ownership, governance, and financial support of the concerned clubs, substantially restrict the investors' influence and decision-making power over more than one club." ALSO READ | How mother’s love made Rohit Sharma blush upon arrival in Mumbai – WATCH It said City Group, which owned a 47 percent stake in Girona, and Ineos had transferred their shares to "independent trustees through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the CFCB First Chamber" until July 2025. UEFA said that the clubs had also promised not to make any new player transfers to each other, either permanently or on loan, until September 2025 and would not cooperate commercially or on coaching or scouting. When the stakes are returned next July, the clubs will again need to take steps to satisfy UEFA rules. Last year, UEFA investigated three cases involving Toulouse and AC Milan, English club Aston Villa and Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes, and Premier League Brighton and Union Royale Saint-Gilloise of Belgium.

UEFA clear Manchester clubs, Nice and Girona to play in Europe club competitions

Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday to win just the second major trophy in their 117-year history and end the German champions' remarkable unbeaten streak.

Lookman, who struggled to establish himself in the English Premier League with Everton, Fulham and Leicester City before reviving his career in Italy under Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, struck twice inside the first 26 minutes before sealing the win 15 minutes from fulltime.

The victory ended Gasperini's own two-decade long pursuit of major silverware as his side totally outplayed Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen - or 'Neverlusen' as they had been dubbed after going an incredible 51 games unbeaten.

But just as they did against Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and three-times finalists Olympique de Marseille in the previous two rounds, Atalanta didn't give their opponents a sniff to mark their first European final with a famous victory.

"We needed to be attacking, it was not enough just to defend. We know these teams are great at attacking. Everyone was extraordinary," Gasperini told Sky Sports Italia, referring to the teams his side beat to become the first Italian winners of the competition since Parma 25 years ago.

"The way we did it was the most important thing, we deserved it without a shadow of a doubt against such a strong team. Winning the Europa League is an extraordinary achievement."

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Leverkusen started the game looking decidedly unsure of themselves and some uncharacteristically sloppy play handed the first chance of the game to Gianluca Scamacca, who didn't get enough on his header from a fine Matteo Ruggeri cross.

It was an early warning shot and the purposeful Italians struck within minutes when Davide Zappacosta was allowed far too much space down the right before Lookman beat a flatfooted Exequiel Palacios to the cut back to stroke home the opener.

Lookman was mobbed by his team mates and substitutes who were in dreamland 14 minutes later.

Another Leverkusen error gifted possession to the Nigeria forward, who skipped past one defender and curled a beautiful right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner from just outside the box.

Also read:&nbsp;

<h2>STUNNING STRIKE</h2>

The stunned Germans showed brief flashes of how quickly they can turn it on in attack but little came of it and it was Charles De Ketelaere who came closest on the break as Atalanta did not show a shred of debut final nerves nor any effects from the absence of injured captain Marten de Roon.

Leverkusen swapped defender Josip Stanisic for top scorer Victor Boniface at halftime but it changed little as both sets of travelling fans continued to create the kind of Aviva Stadium noise matched only by some of the Irish rugby teams' famous wins or memorable international soccer nights of years gone by.

Leverkusen had only failed to score once during the run that featured 42 wins in all competitions and 17 goals scored in or after the 90th minute, but there was no such comeback on Wednesday against the resolute Atalanta backline.

"The normality is not to get defeated in the 52nd game. Normally it happens much earlier in the season. It's been quite exceptional what we have achieved and we have to be really proud," Alonso told a news conference. "We were missing many things for sure. It's very demanding to play against Atalanta, a lot of dual situations, very physical... It happens, it's football, today wasn't our day. They were better."

Lookman, who completed his hat trick with another stunning strike into the top corner, this time with his left foot, became the sixth person to score three goals in a major European final and first since Jupp Heynckes' for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup.

He was flung into the air by his team mates when the final whistle blew and the Bergamo club ended the 61-year wait since their 1963 Italian Cup triumph.

"It's one of the best nights of my life," Lookman, who cradled the matchball as he collected his winners' medal, told TNT Sports. "It was an amazing performance from the team. We did it... We made history tonight."

Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday to win just the second major trophy in their 117-year history and end the German champions' remarkable unbeaten streak.

Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday to win just the second major trophy in their 117-year history and end the German champions' remarkable unbeaten streak. Lookman, who struggled to establish himself in the English Premier League with Everton, Fulham and Leicester City before reviving his career in Italy under Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, struck twice inside the first 26 minutes before sealing the win 15 minutes from fulltime. The victory ended Gasperini's own two-decade long pursuit of major silverware as his side totally outplayed Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen - or 'Neverlusen' as they had been dubbed after going an incredible 51 games unbeaten. But just as they did against Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and three-times finalists Olympique de Marseille in the previous two rounds, Atalanta didn't give their opponents a sniff to mark their first European final with a famous victory. "We needed to be attacking, it was not enough just to defend. We know these teams are great at attacking. Everyone was extraordinary," Gasperini told Sky Sports Italia, referring to the teams his side beat to become the first Italian winners of the competition since Parma 25 years ago. "The way we did it was the most important thing, we deserved it without a shadow of a doubt against such a strong team. Winning the Europa League is an extraordinary achievement." Also read: Copa America 2024: Teams to be allowed concussion substitutions Leverkusen started the game looking decidedly unsure of themselves and some uncharacteristically sloppy play handed the first chance of the game to Gianluca Scamacca, who didn't get enough on his header from a fine Matteo Ruggeri cross. It was an early warning shot and the purposeful Italians struck within minutes when Davide Zappacosta was allowed far too much space down the right before Lookman beat a flatfooted Exequiel Palacios to the cut back to stroke home the opener. Lookman was mobbed by his team mates and substitutes who were in dreamland 14 minutes later. Another Leverkusen error gifted possession to the Nigeria forward, who skipped past one defender and curled a beautiful right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner from just outside the box. Also read: STUNNING STRIKE The stunned Germans showed brief flashes of how quickly they can turn it on in attack but little came of it and it was Charles De Ketelaere who came closest on the break as Atalanta did not show a shred of debut final nerves nor any effects from the absence of injured captain Marten de Roon. Leverkusen swapped defender Josip Stanisic for top scorer Victor Boniface at halftime but it changed little as both sets of travelling fans continued to create the kind of Aviva Stadium noise matched only by some of the Irish rugby teams' famous wins or memorable international soccer nights of years gone by. Leverkusen had only failed to score once during the run that featured 42 wins in all competitions and 17 goals scored in or after the 90th minute, but there was no such comeback on Wednesday against the resolute Atalanta backline. "The normality is not to get defeated in the 52nd game. Normally it happens much earlier in the season. It's been quite exceptional what we have achieved and we have to be really proud," Alonso told a news conference. "We were missing many things for sure. It's very demanding to play against Atalanta, a lot of dual situations, very physical... It happens, it's football, today wasn't our day. They were better." Lookman, who completed his hat trick with another stunning strike into the top corner, this time with his left foot, became the sixth person to score three goals in a major European final and first since Jupp Heynckes' for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup. He was flung into the air by his team mates when the final whistle blew and the Bergamo club ended the 61-year wait since their 1963 Italian Cup triumph. "It's one of the best nights of my life," Lookman, who cradled the matchball as he collected his winners' medal, told TNT Sports. "It was an amazing performance from the team. We did it... We made history tonight."

Ademola Lookman scores hat-trick as Atalanta stun Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in Europa League final

Xavi Alonso-managed Bayer Leverkusen staged a stunning late comeback to settle for a 2-2 stalemate versus Roma in their UEFA Europa League semifinal second leg on Thursday (May 9). With this, they not only qualified for the Europa League final -- having already defeated Roma 2-0 in the first leg -- where they will face Atlanta, but the German club also clinched a massive European record for being the team who have gone undefeated for the most number of games (49).

Leverkusen went past SL Benfica's 59-year-old strong record (48) and will now look to make it 50 unbeaten games in a row with a win in the Europa League final against Atlanta on May 23. Meanwhile, Atlanta went past Marseille 3-0 (4-1 on aggregate) in the second semifinal.

Talking about Leverkusen's astonishing record, they achieved it by overcoming a 2-0 deficit from Roma. Roma got into the lead soon after conceding&nbsp;two goals from the penalty spot by Leanrdo Parades. However, Leverkusen's knack for staging a late comeback continued as they were helped by an own goal from Roma's Gianluca Mancini and a stoppage-time goal from Josep Stanicic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/clinical-atalanta-thrash-marseille-3-0-to-reach-europa-league-final-719890">Clinical Atalanta thrash Marseille 3-0 to reach Europa League final</a>

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49 matches! 😳😳😳 
 
Will Leverkusen go the entire season unbeaten?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/dblp2xIyy3">pic.twitter.com/dblp2xIyy3</a>
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague/status/1788695040560107956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Treble in sight for Leverkusen</h2>

After completing their fairytale run of winning the 2023-2024 Bundesliga title, which was also a maiden for Leverkusen, the football world has started anticipating a treble for Alonso's side.&nbsp;Notably, the German club has already secured their place in the DFB Pokal, where they will be up against&nbsp;FC Kaiserslautern on May 25.

The Europa League final has also raised the hopes of their fans further to keep their title-winning run going. However, they have a stiff challenge to go past Atlanta, who thrashed Marseille without dropping much sweat.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Xavi Alonso-managed Bayer Leverkusen staged a stunning late comeback to settle for a 2-2 stalemate versus Roma in their UEFA Europa League semifinal second leg on Thursday (May 9).

Xavi Alonso-managed Bayer Leverkusen staged a stunning late comeback to settle for a 2-2 stalemate versus Roma in their UEFA Europa League semifinal second leg on Thursday (May 9). With this, they not only qualified for the Europa League final -- having already defeated Roma 2-0 in the first leg -- where they will face Atlanta, but the German club also clinched a massive European record for being the team who have gone undefeated for the most number of games (49). Leverkusen went past SL Benfica's 59-year-old strong record (48) and will now look to make it 50 unbeaten games in a row with a win in the Europa League final against Atlanta on May 23. Meanwhile, Atlanta went past Marseille 3-0 (4-1 on aggregate) in the second semifinal. Talking about Leverkusen's astonishing record, they achieved it by overcoming a 2-0 deficit from Roma. Roma got into the lead soon after conceding two goals from the penalty spot by Leanrdo Parades. However, Leverkusen's knack for staging a late comeback continued as they were helped by an own goal from Roma's Gianluca Mancini and a stoppage-time goal from Josep Stanicic. Also read: Clinical Atalanta thrash Marseille 3-0 to reach Europa League final 49 matches! 😳😳😳 Will Leverkusen go the entire season unbeaten?#UEL pic.twitter.com/dblp2xIyy3 — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 9, 2024 × Treble in sight for Leverkusen After completing their fairytale run of winning the 2023-2024 Bundesliga title, which was also a maiden for Leverkusen, the football world has started anticipating a treble for Alonso's side. Notably, the German club has already secured their place in the DFB Pokal, where they will be up against FC Kaiserslautern on May 25. The Europa League final has also raised the hopes of their fans further to keep their title-winning run going. However, they have a stiff challenge to go past Atlanta, who thrashed Marseille without dropping much sweat.

Bayer Leverkusen attain MASSIVE European record with last-minute stalemate vs Roma, enter Europa League final

Goals by Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich gave Bayer Leverkusen a 2-0 advantage over AS Roma in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday as the German champions edged closer to their first European final in 22 years.

The newly-crowned Bundesliga winners and German Cup finalists, who recently overtook Juventus to claim the European record for the longest unbeaten streak across all competitions, lost 2-1 to Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final.

They won their only ever European title when they lifted the UEFA Cup in 1988.

"We fought well and showed a mature performance with a lot of discipline," coach Xabi Alonso told a press conference. "We defended closely and compactly, so we are satisfied with the performance. But the return match has not yet been played."

While Leverkusen had an upper hand in the opening minutes, Roma grew into the game as the first half wore on and Romelu Lukaku could have given the hosts an early lead when he hit the bar with a header following a corner in the 21st minute.

However, the tables turned again in favour of Alonso's side who took the lead through Wirtz before the half-hour mark when the midfielder scored with a simple low finish, capitalising on Roma's defensive error.

Roma defender Rick Karsdorp miscalculated when he attempted to find Leonardo Spinazzola with a pass from the edge of their own box and Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo took over the ball, cutting back to Wirtz who netted into the bottom right corner.

Leverkusen could have doubled the lead six minutes later but Jeremie Frimpong narrowly missed the target, striking from around the penalty spot with first touch.

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But the visitors continued to dominate at Stadio Olimpico and Andrich made it 2-0 in the 73rd minute, leaving Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar with no chance when he fired an unstoppable shot from outside the box and under the bar.

Roma had a late chance in stoppage time through substitute Tammy Abraham, whose misplaced header from point-blank range sailed narrowly above the bar.

Both teams meet at the semi-final stage of the Europa League for the second season running, with the Italian side progressing to the last year's final thanks to a narrow 1-0 lead from their home first leg followed by a goalless draw in Germany.

Roma, who beat AC Milan 3-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, have reached the semi-final stage of a major European competition for the fourth consecutive season.

The second leg will be played in Leverkusen next Thursday and the winner of the tie will face Olympique de Marseille or Atalanta in the final on May 22 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

Goals by Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich gave Bayer Leverkusen a 2-0 advantage over AS Roma in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday as the German champions edged closer to their first European final in 22 years.

Goals by Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich gave Bayer Leverkusen a 2-0 advantage over AS Roma in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday as the German champions edged closer to their first European final in 22 years. The newly-crowned Bundesliga winners and German Cup finalists, who recently overtook Juventus to claim the European record for the longest unbeaten streak across all competitions, lost 2-1 to Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final. They won their only ever European title when they lifted the UEFA Cup in 1988. "We fought well and showed a mature performance with a lot of discipline," coach Xabi Alonso told a press conference. "We defended closely and compactly, so we are satisfied with the performance. But the return match has not yet been played." While Leverkusen had an upper hand in the opening minutes, Roma grew into the game as the first half wore on and Romelu Lukaku could have given the hosts an early lead when he hit the bar with a header following a corner in the 21st minute. However, the tables turned again in favour of Alonso's side who took the lead through Wirtz before the half-hour mark when the midfielder scored with a simple low finish, capitalising on Roma's defensive error. Roma defender Rick Karsdorp miscalculated when he attempted to find Leonardo Spinazzola with a pass from the edge of their own box and Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo took over the ball, cutting back to Wirtz who netted into the bottom right corner. Leverkusen could have doubled the lead six minutes later but Jeremie Frimpong narrowly missed the target, striking from around the penalty spot with first touch. ALSO READ: Premier League: Tottenham slip in race for top four finish after shock Chelsea defeat But the visitors continued to dominate at Stadio Olimpico and Andrich made it 2-0 in the 73rd minute, leaving Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar with no chance when he fired an unstoppable shot from outside the box and under the bar. Roma had a late chance in stoppage time through substitute Tammy Abraham, whose misplaced header from point-blank range sailed narrowly above the bar. Both teams meet at the semi-final stage of the Europa League for the second season running, with the Italian side progressing to the last year's final thanks to a narrow 1-0 lead from their home first leg followed by a goalless draw in Germany. Roma, who beat AC Milan 3-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, have reached the semi-final stage of a major European competition for the fourth consecutive season. The second leg will be played in Leverkusen next Thursday and the winner of the tie will face Olympique de Marseille or Atalanta in the final on May 22 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

Bayer Leverkusen inch closer to UEL final with away win over AS Roma in semis first leg

Atalanta progressed to the Europa League semi-finals despite losing 1-0 to Liverpool on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 on aggregate to move one step closer to a first ever European final for the Serie A side. Atalanta had stunned the Premier League club 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final last week at Anfield, levelling another huge blow to Liverpool's dreams of a fairytale ending in manager Juergen Klopp's final season.

"We gave ourselves a massive hurdle (in the first leg), but I liked the game a lot for a long time, the commitment, the desire, the power the boys showed was incredible," Klopp told TNT Sports. "It is mixed emotions. We would have wished that we could have gone to Dublin (for the final), but that hasn't happened. "We now have one competition left (Premier League) and we will throw ourselves into that completely."

Liverpool got off to a quick start in Italy as talisman Mohammed Salah scored from the penalty spot in the seventh minute, fuelling hope that a remarkable comeback was in the making. But while Klopp's men looked little like the shaky side who were steamrolled by Atalanta at Anfield, particularly in the first half, Gian Piero Gasperini's team held on in what the manager had called the biggest game in the team's history to earn a semi-final place against Olympique de Marseille.

"If you don't win without danger, there's no glory to your triumph," Gasperini said. "The fans always ask us for the shirt to be soaked in sweat, and that's one thing we must have at a minimum."

Salah had Liverpool's best chance at a second goal when he was sent in one-on-one against goalkeeper Juan Musso, but he chipped the ball well wide. Later in the first half, Salah almost set up Luis Diaz with a ball over the top into the area, but it hit the arm of Isak Hien. Liverpool screamed for a penalty to no avail, and Diaz was booked for dissent.

"Last week we were very poor and they had a good game," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports. "They deserved to go through because we made it far too difficult for ourselves. "Tonight was a good game and we showed great fight. It was an improvement but the reality is we are out. We are disappointed to be out of the competition as we really wanted to win it."

Liverpool, who won the League Cup earlier this season, now turn their attention back to the Premier League. They are level on 71 points with second-placed Arsenal and two points behind leaders Manchester City.

They play at Fulham on Sunday in a quick turnaround. "We won tonight and we kept a clean sheet, so there are so many more positives we can take. Yes, it is a bad feeling to be out so we have to get back up," Van Dijk added. "We have been through difficult moments all together, so showing maturity and togetherness is the key to this. We need everyone now for the last push in the league."

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AS ROMA BEAT AC MILAN TO GO AHEAD

AS Roma beat AC Milan 2-1 at a buzzing Stadio Olimpico on Thursday to complete a 3-1 aggregate win and set up a semi-final showdown with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League.

Defender Gianluca Mancini, whose 17th-minute header had helped Roma edge Milan 1-0 at the San Siro last week, gave them another early lead in the quarter-final second leg, scoring on a rebound from close range in the 12th minute.

Paulo Dybala doubled the advantage for the hosts 10 minutes later with a curled shot inside the far post before Matteo Gabbia pulled one back for Milan five minutes from time, nodding home a cross from forward Rafael Leao.

Last season's runners-up Roma, who were beaten on penalties by Sevilla after a 1-1 draw in the final, advanced to their fourth European semi-final in a row. They will next face the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, who beat West Ham United.

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BUNDESLIGA CHAMPIONS LEVERKUSEN ALSO REACH SFs AFTER WEST HAM DRAW

Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen reached the Europa League semi-finals but almost lost their season-long unbeaten record as they struck late to draw 1-1 away at West Ham United for a 3-1 aggregate victory on Thursday.

Xavi Alonso's side trailed to Michail Antonio's early header and were far below their usual high standards in the first half as the dominant hosts carved out several more chances. Leverkusen, who clinched their first German title at the weekend, improved dramatically after the break and squandered numerous opportunities before substitute Jeremie Frimpong's shot deflected past Lukasz Fabianski in the 89th minute.

The final whistle sparked loud celebrations from the travelling Leverkusen fans who can now look forward to a semi-final against AS Roma who they lost to at that stage last season. Leverkusen are now unbeaten in 44 matches in all competitions this season and remain on course for a treble.

Atalanta progressed to the Europa League semi-finals despite losing 1-0 to Liverpool on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 on aggregate to move one step closer to a first ever European final for the Serie A side.

Atalanta progressed to the Europa League semi-finals despite losing 1-0 to Liverpool on Thursday as they triumphed 3-1 on aggregate to move one step closer to a first ever European final for the Serie A side. Atalanta had stunned the Premier League club 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final last week at Anfield, levelling another huge blow to Liverpool's dreams of a fairytale ending in manager Juergen Klopp's final season. "We gave ourselves a massive hurdle (in the first leg), but I liked the game a lot for a long time, the commitment, the desire, the power the boys showed was incredible," Klopp told TNT Sports. "It is mixed emotions. We would have wished that we could have gone to Dublin (for the final), but that hasn't happened. "We now have one competition left (Premier League) and we will throw ourselves into that completely." Liverpool got off to a quick start in Italy as talisman Mohammed Salah scored from the penalty spot in the seventh minute, fuelling hope that a remarkable comeback was in the making. But while Klopp's men looked little like the shaky side who were steamrolled by Atalanta at Anfield, particularly in the first half, Gian Piero Gasperini's team held on in what the manager had called the biggest game in the team's history to earn a semi-final place against Olympique de Marseille. "If you don't win without danger, there's no glory to your triumph," Gasperini said. "The fans always ask us for the shirt to be soaked in sweat, and that's one thing we must have at a minimum." Salah had Liverpool's best chance at a second goal when he was sent in one-on-one against goalkeeper Juan Musso, but he chipped the ball well wide. Later in the first half, Salah almost set up Luis Diaz with a ball over the top into the area, but it hit the arm of Isak Hien. Liverpool screamed for a penalty to no avail, and Diaz was booked for dissent. "Last week we were very poor and they had a good game," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports. "They deserved to go through because we made it far too difficult for ourselves. "Tonight was a good game and we showed great fight. It was an improvement but the reality is we are out. We are disappointed to be out of the competition as we really wanted to win it." Liverpool, who won the League Cup earlier this season, now turn their attention back to the Premier League. They are level on 71 points with second-placed Arsenal and two points behind leaders Manchester City. They play at Fulham on Sunday in a quick turnaround. "We won tonight and we kept a clean sheet, so there are so many more positives we can take. Yes, it is a bad feeling to be out so we have to get back up," Van Dijk added. "We have been through difficult moments all together, so showing maturity and togetherness is the key to this. We need everyone now for the last push in the league." Also read: 'Wanted to get rid of me': Schweinsteiger reveals Mourinho banned him from Manchester United dressing room AS ROMA BEAT AC MILAN TO GO AHEAD AS Roma beat AC Milan 2-1 at a buzzing Stadio Olimpico on Thursday to complete a 3-1 aggregate win and set up a semi-final showdown with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League. Defender Gianluca Mancini, whose 17th-minute header had helped Roma edge Milan 1-0 at the San Siro last week, gave them another early lead in the quarter-final second leg, scoring on a rebound from close range in the 12th minute. Paulo Dybala doubled the advantage for the hosts 10 minutes later with a curled shot inside the far post before Matteo Gabbia pulled one back for Milan five minutes from time, nodding home a cross from forward Rafael Leao. Last season's runners-up Roma, who were beaten on penalties by Sevilla after a 1-1 draw in the final, advanced to their fourth European semi-final in a row. They will next face the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, who beat West Ham United. Also read: Football: Historic! FA Cup replays scrapped from 2024-25 season to accommodate UEFA's extended calendar BUNDESLIGA CHAMPIONS LEVERKUSEN ALSO REACH SFs AFTER WEST HAM DRAW Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen reached the Europa League semi-finals but almost lost their season-long unbeaten record as they struck late to draw 1-1 away at West Ham United for a 3-1 aggregate victory on Thursday. Xavi Alonso's side trailed to Michail Antonio's early header and were far below their usual high standards in the first half as the dominant hosts carved out several more chances. Leverkusen, who clinched their first German title at the weekend, improved dramatically after the break and squandered numerous opportunities before substitute Jeremie Frimpong's shot deflected past Lukasz Fabianski in the 89th minute. The final whistle sparked loud celebrations from the travelling Leverkusen fans who can now look forward to a semi-final against AS Roma who they lost to at that stage last season. Leverkusen are now unbeaten in 44 matches in all competitions this season and remain on course for a treble.

Liverpool bows out as Atalanta book Europa League semi-final place

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his team to channel the same energy which helped them engineer the iconic Barcelona comeback in 2019. Klopp's demand of his team comes after the Reds lost the UEFA Europa League (UEL) quarterfinal first leg match against Atalanta 0-3 at Anfield last week.&nbsp;

Klopp's men will take the field on Thursday (Apr 18) in the second leg at Bergamo and hope to overturn the tie whilst keeping hopes of another silverware alive.&nbsp;

"I remember that I said (in 2019): ‘If we fail, then let’s fail in a most beautiful way’ and that’s how I see it again," Klopp told the reporters.&nbsp;

"And that’s exactly how I see it again. We want to win the game. If we want to win, we better play good. If we play good, we have a chance. After the game (last week), everyone in the stadium thought, “That’s it”. But a week later, I don’t think everybody thinks it’s already decided," added the German.&nbsp;

Liverpool were toothless in finishing off the chances against the Serie&nbsp;A side at home and ultimately paid the price for it. A brace from Gianluca Scamacca and a goal from Mario Pasalic ensured that Atalanta walked away with a famous win at Anfield.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/europa-league-liverpool-humbled-by-atalanta-as-roma-beat-ac-milan-710338">Also read |&nbsp;Europa League: Liverpool humbled by Atalanta, AS Roma beat AC Milan</a>

<h2>All to play for</h2>

Liverpool have been known for staging epic comebacks on the European stage. The match against Barcelona remains one of the most famous matches under Klopp's tenure. At the time, Liverpool lost the away leg at Camp Nou before making a comeback for the ages with a 4-0 win which helped them eventually lift the UCL trophy.&nbsp;

‘I have been long enough in this business to know it is two legs, it is over when it is over. We are still allowed to play tomorrow, we are 100,000 per cent focused. We are only here to play football - but I cannot win this game in this press conference today," added Klopp.&nbsp;

Klopp is in his last season at Liverpool and has already won the Carabao Cup. However, his main objective remains securing the Premier League trophy where Manchester City and Arsenal are his other challengers. The Merseyside club recently suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace which has dented Klopp's chances of walking away with a second PL title.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his team to channel the same energy which helped them engineer the iconic Barcelona comeback in 2019. Klopp's demand of his team comes after the Reds lost the UEFA Europa League (UEL) quarterfinal first leg match against Atalanta 0-3 at Anfield last week.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his team to channel the same energy which helped them engineer the iconic Barcelona comeback in 2019. Klopp's demand of his team comes after the Reds lost the UEFA Europa League (UEL) quarterfinal first leg match against Atalanta 0-3 at Anfield last week. Klopp's men will take the field on Thursday (Apr 18) in the second leg at Bergamo and hope to overturn the tie whilst keeping hopes of another silverware alive. "I remember that I said (in 2019): ‘If we fail, then let’s fail in a most beautiful way’ and that’s how I see it again," Klopp told the reporters. "And that’s exactly how I see it again. We want to win the game. If we want to win, we better play good. If we play good, we have a chance. After the game (last week), everyone in the stadium thought, “That’s it”. But a week later, I don’t think everybody thinks it’s already decided," added the German. Liverpool were toothless in finishing off the chances against the Serie A side at home and ultimately paid the price for it. A brace from Gianluca Scamacca and a goal from Mario Pasalic ensured that Atalanta walked away with a famous win at Anfield. Also read | Europa League: Liverpool humbled by Atalanta, AS Roma beat AC Milan All to play for Liverpool have been known for staging epic comebacks on the European stage. The match against Barcelona remains one of the most famous matches under Klopp's tenure. At the time, Liverpool lost the away leg at Camp Nou before making a comeback for the ages with a 4-0 win which helped them eventually lift the UCL trophy. ‘I have been long enough in this business to know it is two legs, it is over when it is over. We are still allowed to play tomorrow, we are 100,000 per cent focused. We are only here to play football - but I cannot win this game in this press conference today," added Klopp. Klopp is in his last season at Liverpool and has already won the Carabao Cup. However, his main objective remains securing the Premier League trophy where Manchester City and Arsenal are his other challengers. The Merseyside club recently suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace which has dented Klopp's chances of walking away with a second PL title. (With inputs from agencies)

'Fail in the most beautiful way': Jurgen Klopp calls on Liverpool to repeat Barcelona heroics

Bayer Leverkusen's undefeated run to their first Bundesliga title was fully deserved and it was an honour to be part of a special day for the club, coach Xabi Alonso said on Sunday.

His team had earlier crushed Werder Bremen 5-0 to open a 16-point gap over deposed title holders Bayern Munich with five matches left in the season, securing their first trophy in 31 years amid wild celebrations from a 30,000-home crowd.

"We wanted to play games with a good mentality this season and the players quickly started working well together. After the first few matches, we saw this team can play really good football," Alonso told a press conference.

"But to achieve this in such a way was a top performance. Finally, it is an honour to say that Leverkusen are champions. It is totally deserved for the team, fans and the club."

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The 42-year-old Spaniard, who took over in October 2022, can win more titles this season with his team also through to the German Cup final and the Europa League quarter-finals.

"It is a big success for the club. The first time is special for everyone. We can say we were part of this big day for Bayer Leverkusen. It feels great," said Alonso, who will stay on at the club despite major interest from top European teams.

Leverkusen are on a 43-game unbeaten run across all competitions and have further extended the longest unbeaten streak in a single Bundesliga season to 29 matches.

"We did not talk much about the title in the changing room but it was in our heads that this year we could be champions," said Alonso. "Now we must enjoy the moment. It has been a totally intense season so far and it is not yet over. We cannot forget it."

"Now this is behind us and we still have big goals this season," he said before the players stormed into the room showering their coach with beer.

Leverkusen travel to West Ham United next week for their Europa League return game after a 2-0 first leg victory.

Bayer Leverkusen's undefeated run to their first Bundesliga title was fully deserved and it was an honour to be part of a special day for the club, coach Xabi Alonso said on Sunday.

Bayer Leverkusen's undefeated run to their first Bundesliga title was fully deserved and it was an honour to be part of a special day for the club, coach Xabi Alonso said on Sunday. His team had earlier crushed Werder Bremen 5-0 to open a 16-point gap over deposed title holders Bayern Munich with five matches left in the season, securing their first trophy in 31 years amid wild celebrations from a 30,000-home crowd. "We wanted to play games with a good mentality this season and the players quickly started working well together. After the first few matches, we saw this team can play really good football," Alonso told a press conference. "But to achieve this in such a way was a top performance. Finally, it is an honour to say that Leverkusen are champions. It is totally deserved for the team, fans and the club." ALSO READ: No plans to donate NFL star OJ Simpson's brain to science: Lawyer The 42-year-old Spaniard, who took over in October 2022, can win more titles this season with his team also through to the German Cup final and the Europa League quarter-finals. "It is a big success for the club. The first time is special for everyone. We can say we were part of this big day for Bayer Leverkusen. It feels great," said Alonso, who will stay on at the club despite major interest from top European teams. Leverkusen are on a 43-game unbeaten run across all competitions and have further extended the longest unbeaten streak in a single Bundesliga season to 29 matches. "We did not talk much about the title in the changing room but it was in our heads that this year we could be champions," said Alonso. "Now we must enjoy the moment. It has been a totally intense season so far and it is not yet over. We cannot forget it." "Now this is behind us and we still have big goals this season," he said before the players stormed into the room showering their coach with beer. Leverkusen travel to West Ham United next week for their Europa League return game after a 2-0 first leg victory.

Bundesliga champion’s coach Xabi Alonso admits Leverkusen still have big goals to achieve this season

Liverpool slumped to a shock 3-0 home defeat by Atalanta on Thursday as Gianluca Scamacca struck twice for the Italian side in their Europa League quarter-final first leg. On a chastening evening for former European champions in the continent's second-tier club competition, AC Milan lost 1-0 at home to fellow Italian side AS Roma. Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen secured a last-gasp 2-0 home win over West Ham United.

Atalanta took the lead at Liverpool after 38 minutes when an unmarked Scamacca latched on to Davide Zappacosta's cross to strike a low shot past keeper Caoimhin Kelleher who should have done more to keep the effort out.

Scamaca pounced on poor Liverpool defending to fire home from a fine cross by Charles De Ketelaere in the 60th minute before Mario Pasalic sealed the rout seven minutes from time with a simple finish off a rebound from Kelleher.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing really positive to say about the game," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told TNT Sports. "I know already that if we do a couple of things better, we will be better. Can we win it back? Yes, if we play good it is possible. Can we win 3-0? I have no idea. But this feels really bad and that's important."

Late strikes by Bayer Leverkusen substitutes Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface earned the Bundesliga leaders a two-goal advantage over West Ham and they remained undefeated this season with 37 wins and five draws across all competitions.

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Leverkusen dominated the game but the visitors' keeper Lukasz Fabianski pulled off a string of saves and kept out dangerous efforts by Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick to keep the scores level at the break.

Hofmann gave Leverkusen the lead in the 83rd minute, scoring with a first-time effort and striker Boniface doubled the advantage in stoppage time with a header into the bottom corner.

The hosts, who can clinch the Bundesliga title on Sunday, had 33 attempts on goal -- 13 on target -- compared to one sole effort by midfielder Mohammed Kudus for Europa Conference League holders West Ham.

Roma upset hosts Milan as Gianluca Mancini scored to end the capital club's nine-match winless run against Stefano Pioli's side. Roma, who had last beaten Milan in 2019, took the lead thanks to Mancini's pinpoint header from Paulo Dybala's corner in the 17th minute.

"We should have been more courageous," Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. "We created some chances, but I didn't see the same quality as in the last matches. "This team can do more, I know that. I didn't expect the defeat, we weren't precise, we lacked the flair."

Portuguese champions Benfica claimed a 2-1 home win over Olympique de Marseille through goals by Rafa Silva and Argentine forward Angel Di Maria. The second legs will be played next Thursday.

Liverpool slumped to a shock 3-0 home defeat by Atalanta on Thursday as Gianluca Scamacca struck twice for the Italian side in their Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Liverpool slumped to a shock 3-0 home defeat by Atalanta on Thursday as Gianluca Scamacca struck twice for the Italian side in their Europa League quarter-final first leg. On a chastening evening for former European champions in the continent's second-tier club competition, AC Milan lost 1-0 at home to fellow Italian side AS Roma. Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen secured a last-gasp 2-0 home win over West Ham United. Atalanta took the lead at Liverpool after 38 minutes when an unmarked Scamacca latched on to Davide Zappacosta's cross to strike a low shot past keeper Caoimhin Kelleher who should have done more to keep the effort out. Scamaca pounced on poor Liverpool defending to fire home from a fine cross by Charles De Ketelaere in the 60th minute before Mario Pasalic sealed the rout seven minutes from time with a simple finish off a rebound from Kelleher. "Unfortunately, there is nothing really positive to say about the game," Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told TNT Sports. "I know already that if we do a couple of things better, we will be better. Can we win it back? Yes, if we play good it is possible. Can we win 3-0? I have no idea. But this feels really bad and that's important." Late strikes by Bayer Leverkusen substitutes Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface earned the Bundesliga leaders a two-goal advantage over West Ham and they remained undefeated this season with 37 wins and five draws across all competitions. Also read: Premier League set to introduce semi-automated offside technology from 2024-25 season Leverkusen dominated the game but the visitors' keeper Lukasz Fabianski pulled off a string of saves and kept out dangerous efforts by Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick to keep the scores level at the break. Hofmann gave Leverkusen the lead in the 83rd minute, scoring with a first-time effort and striker Boniface doubled the advantage in stoppage time with a header into the bottom corner. The hosts, who can clinch the Bundesliga title on Sunday, had 33 attempts on goal -- 13 on target -- compared to one sole effort by midfielder Mohammed Kudus for Europa Conference League holders West Ham. Roma upset hosts Milan as Gianluca Mancini scored to end the capital club's nine-match winless run against Stefano Pioli's side. Roma, who had last beaten Milan in 2019, took the lead thanks to Mancini's pinpoint header from Paulo Dybala's corner in the 17th minute. "We should have been more courageous," Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. "We created some chances, but I didn't see the same quality as in the last matches. "This team can do more, I know that. I didn't expect the defeat, we weren't precise, we lacked the flair." Portuguese champions Benfica claimed a 2-1 home win over Olympique de Marseille through goals by Rafa Silva and Argentine forward Angel Di Maria. The second legs will be played next Thursday.

Europa League: Liverpool humbled by Atalanta, AS Roma beat AC Milan

Liverpool hammered Sparta Prague 6-1 on Thursday to storm into the Europa League quarter-finals 11-2 on aggregate while Bayer Leverkusen staged a dramatic turnaround to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Qarabag.

Liverpool were 4-0 up within 14 minutes thanks to goals by Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.

Serbian striker Veljko Birmancevic pulled one back for the visitors before the break, but Liverpool continued to dominate.

Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored the hosts' fifth goal and Gakpo netted his second to complete Liverpool's rout.

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In a nail-biting thriller, Leverkusen secured a 3-2 home victory over Azerbaijani team Qarabag, with Patrik Schick's stoppage-time brace ensuring a 5-4 aggregate win and extending Leverkusen's unbeaten run to 37 games.

Brighton &amp; Hove Albion's effort to bridge a four-goal deficit against AS Roma proved futile as they could only manage a 1-0 home victory, Danny Welbeck's curler a consolation in Roma's 4-1 aggregate win

Atalanta secured a hardfought 2-1 home victory over Portuguese side Sporting, with Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca turning the match around for the hosts to seal a 3-2 aggregate win for the Italian team.

Liverpool hammered Sparta Prague 6-1 on Thursday to storm into the Europa League quarter-finals 11-2 on aggregate while Bayer Leverkusen staged a dramatic turnaround to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Qarabag.

Liverpool hammered Sparta Prague 6-1 on Thursday to storm into the Europa League quarter-finals 11-2 on aggregate while Bayer Leverkusen staged a dramatic turnaround to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Qarabag. Liverpool were 4-0 up within 14 minutes thanks to goals by Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo. Serbian striker Veljko Birmancevic pulled one back for the visitors before the break, but Liverpool continued to dominate. Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored the hosts' fifth goal and Gakpo netted his second to complete Liverpool's rout. ALSO READ | Ranji Trophy Final: I am the happiest to lift trophy - Ajinkya Rahane expresses joy after Mumbai's 42nd title In a nail-biting thriller, Leverkusen secured a 3-2 home victory over Azerbaijani team Qarabag, with Patrik Schick's stoppage-time brace ensuring a 5-4 aggregate win and extending Leverkusen's unbeaten run to 37 games. Brighton & Hove Albion's effort to bridge a four-goal deficit against AS Roma proved futile as they could only manage a 1-0 home victory, Danny Welbeck's curler a consolation in Roma's 4-1 aggregate win Atalanta secured a hardfought 2-1 home victory over Portuguese side Sporting, with Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca turning the match around for the hosts to seal a 3-2 aggregate win for the Italian team.

Europa League: Liverpool thrash Sparta, Leverkusen clinch stoppage-time win

Liverpool will play Serie A side Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals while Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen take on West Ham United after the draw was held at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon on Friday.

AC Milan are looking to win the trophy for the first time and they will face last season's beaten finalists AS Roma in an all-Italian clash.

Benfica were drawn against French side Olympique de Marseille and the winners of that quarter-final will face either Liverpool or Atalanta in the semis.

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The other semi-final will see an Italian side, Milan or Roma, come up against Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham.

West Ham won last season's Conference League and reached the semi-final of the Europa League in 2022, but they face a tough task against Leverkusen. The German side are unbeaten across 37 games in all competitions this season.

Leverkusen, 10 points clear in the Bundesliga, kept their unbeaten run going and scraped through to the quarter-finals on Thursday when they came from 2-0 down to beat Qarabag 3-2, ensuring a 5-4 aggregate win.

QUARTER-FINALS -

<ul>
	<li>Quarter final 1: AC Milan v AS Roma</li>
	<li>Quarter final 2: Liverpool v Atalanta</li>
	<li>Quarter final 3: Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham United</li>
	<li>Quarter final 4: Benfica v Olympique de Marseille</li>
</ul>

* Team drawn first hosts the first leg

* First legs: April 11

* Second legs: April 18

SEMI-FINAL DRAW -

<ul>
	<li>Semi-final 1: Benfica/Marseille v Liverpool/Atalanta</li>
	<li>Semi-final 2: AC Milan/Roma v Bayer Leverkusen/West Ham</li>
</ul>

* Team drawn first hosts the first leg

* First legs: May 2

* Second legs: May 9

FINAL

Aviva Stadium, Dublin: May 22

Liverpool will play Serie A side Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals while Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen take on West Ham United after the draw was held at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon on Friday.

Liverpool will play Serie A side Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals while Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen take on West Ham United after the draw was held at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon on Friday. AC Milan are looking to win the trophy for the first time and they will face last season's beaten finalists AS Roma in an all-Italian clash. Benfica were drawn against French side Olympique de Marseille and the winners of that quarter-final will face either Liverpool or Atalanta in the semis. ALSO READ: Holders Manchester City to face Real Madrid, Barcelona to take on PSG in Champions League quarters The other semi-final will see an Italian side, Milan or Roma, come up against Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham. West Ham won last season's Conference League and reached the semi-final of the Europa League in 2022, but they face a tough task against Leverkusen. The German side are unbeaten across 37 games in all competitions this season. Leverkusen, 10 points clear in the Bundesliga, kept their unbeaten run going and scraped through to the quarter-finals on Thursday when they came from 2-0 down to beat Qarabag 3-2, ensuring a 5-4 aggregate win. QUARTER-FINALS - Quarter final 1: AC Milan v AS Roma Quarter final 2: Liverpool v Atalanta Quarter final 3: Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham United Quarter final 4: Benfica v Olympique de Marseille * Team drawn first hosts the first leg * First legs: April 11 * Second legs: April 18 SEMI-FINAL DRAW - Semi-final 1: Benfica/Marseille v Liverpool/Atalanta Semi-final 2: AC Milan/Roma v Bayer Leverkusen/West Ham * Team drawn first hosts the first leg * First legs: May 2 * Second legs: May 9 FINAL Aviva Stadium, Dublin: May 22

Europa League Quarter-final Draw: Liverpool to play Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen to face West Ham United

An early penalty by Alexis Mac Allister and a Darwin Nunez brace helped Liverpool to thrash Sparta Prague 5-1 in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday.

Liverpool, who qualified for the knockout rounds as group winners, dominated the game and were up 3-0 at the break, edging closer to the quarter-finals.

After Mac Allister was taken down inside the box, the Argentine gave Liverpool the lead from the spot in the sixth minute. He sent Sparta keeper Peter Jensen the wrong way as he fired into the bottom corner.

Nunez doubled the advantage from a distance in the 25th, squeezing in his shot just under the bar to notch up the 1,000th goal during Juergen Klopp's tenure.

The Uruguay forward then made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time after he received a lofted pass from Mac Allister to slot home from the edge of the box.

Liverpool substitute Conor Bradley scored an own goal just after the break but the visitors restored their three-goal lead in the 53rd minute through Luis Diaz.

Substitute Mohamed Salah thought he had extended Liverpool's lead to 5-1 but his goal was ruled out by VAR for offside.

However, Dominik Szoboszlai added a fifth in injury time.

In the other early kickoff, AS Roma secured a 4-0 win over Brighton &amp; Hove Albion. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring in the 12th minute and Romelu Lukaku doubled their lead before the break following a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jason Steele.

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Defender Gianluca Mancini made it 3-0 for the hosts in the 64th minute before midfielder Bryan Cristante completed the rout four minutes later with a header.

Runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen came from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw at Azerbaijan's Qarabag with goals from Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick.

Sporting Lisbon and Atalanta played out a 1-1 draw on Wednesday with forward Gianluca Scamacca scoring before halftime to cancel out Paulinho's opener for the Portuguese hosts.

The match took place one day ahead of the Europa League's Thursday schedule as UEFA safety rules do not permit teams from the same city to host games on the same day. Benfica take on Rangers in Lisbon in a later kickoff.

The second legs will be played on March 14.

An early penalty by Alexis Mac Allister and a Darwin Nunez brace helped Liverpool to thrash Sparta Prague 5-1 in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday.

An early penalty by Alexis Mac Allister and a Darwin Nunez brace helped Liverpool to thrash Sparta Prague 5-1 in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday. Liverpool, who qualified for the knockout rounds as group winners, dominated the game and were up 3-0 at the break, edging closer to the quarter-finals. After Mac Allister was taken down inside the box, the Argentine gave Liverpool the lead from the spot in the sixth minute. He sent Sparta keeper Peter Jensen the wrong way as he fired into the bottom corner. Nunez doubled the advantage from a distance in the 25th, squeezing in his shot just under the bar to notch up the 1,000th goal during Juergen Klopp's tenure. The Uruguay forward then made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time after he received a lofted pass from Mac Allister to slot home from the edge of the box. Liverpool substitute Conor Bradley scored an own goal just after the break but the visitors restored their three-goal lead in the 53rd minute through Luis Diaz. Substitute Mohamed Salah thought he had extended Liverpool's lead to 5-1 but his goal was ruled out by VAR for offside. However, Dominik Szoboszlai added a fifth in injury time. In the other early kickoff, AS Roma secured a 4-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring in the 12th minute and Romelu Lukaku doubled their lead before the break following a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jason Steele. ALSO READ | Mike Tyson to face YouTuber Jake Paul in heavyweight bout. Here's all you need to know Defender Gianluca Mancini made it 3-0 for the hosts in the 64th minute before midfielder Bryan Cristante completed the rout four minutes later with a header. Runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen came from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw at Azerbaijan's Qarabag with goals from Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick. Sporting Lisbon and Atalanta played out a 1-1 draw on Wednesday with forward Gianluca Scamacca scoring before halftime to cancel out Paulinho's opener for the Portuguese hosts. The match took place one day ahead of the Europa League's Thursday schedule as UEFA safety rules do not permit teams from the same city to host games on the same day. Benfica take on Rangers in Lisbon in a later kickoff. The second legs will be played on March 14.

Europa League: Liverpool hammer Sparta Prague 5-1 with Nunez double, Roma beat Brighton 4-0

Three-time winners Liverpool were drawn to face Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16 on Friday, while unbeaten Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will take on Azeris Qarabag.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will be strong favourites to reach the quarter-finals as they bid for a quadruple in the German's final season before stepping down as manager.

The first leg will be played in the Czech capital on March 7, with Anfield hosting the return game a week later.

Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, are unbeaten in 32 matches in all competitions this season, and will again face Qarabag, having already seen off the Azeri champions twice in the group stage.

Also renewing acquaintances will be last year's Europa Conference League winners West Ham and Freiburg, after David Moyes' side's brace of victories against the Bundesliga club in Group A.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rcb-vs-upw-wpl-2024-royal-challengers-bangalore-vs-up-warriorz-playing-xi-pitch-all-you-need-to-know-693136">RCB vs UPW- WPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs UP Warriorz playing XI, pitch | All you need to know</a>

Seven-time European champions AC Milan continue their bid to win a maiden Europa League title against Slavia Prague after their knock-out round play-off win over Rennes.

Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers, losing finalists in 2022, take on Portuguese Primeira Liga pace-setters Benfica, still chasing a first European trophy since 1962.

Premier League club Brighton continue their first ever European adventure at last season's runners-up Roma.

<h3>Full last-16 draw</h3>

Sparta Prague (CZE) v Liverpool (ENG)

Marseille (FRA) v Villarreal (ESP)

Roma (ITA) v Brighton (ENG)

Benfica (POR) v Rangers (SCO)

Freiburg (GER) v West Ham (ENG)

Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Atalanta (ITA)

AC Milan (ITA) v Slavia Prague (CZE)

Qarabag (AZE) v Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

First legs to be played on March 7, second legs to be played on March 14

Three-time winners Liverpool were drawn to face Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16 on Friday, while unbeaten Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will take on Azeris Qarabag.

Three-time winners Liverpool were drawn to face Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16 on Friday, while unbeaten Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen will take on Azeris Qarabag. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will be strong favourites to reach the quarter-finals as they bid for a quadruple in the German's final season before stepping down as manager. The first leg will be played in the Czech capital on March 7, with Anfield hosting the return game a week later. Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, are unbeaten in 32 matches in all competitions this season, and will again face Qarabag, having already seen off the Azeri champions twice in the group stage. Also renewing acquaintances will be last year's Europa Conference League winners West Ham and Freiburg, after David Moyes' side's brace of victories against the Bundesliga club in Group A. ALSO READ | RCB vs UPW- WPL 2024: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs UP Warriorz playing XI, pitch | All you need to know Seven-time European champions AC Milan continue their bid to win a maiden Europa League title against Slavia Prague after their knock-out round play-off win over Rennes. Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers, losing finalists in 2022, take on Portuguese Primeira Liga pace-setters Benfica, still chasing a first European trophy since 1962. Premier League club Brighton continue their first ever European adventure at last season's runners-up Roma. Full last-16 draw Sparta Prague (CZE) v Liverpool (ENG) Marseille (FRA) v Villarreal (ESP) Roma (ITA) v Brighton (ENG) Benfica (POR) v Rangers (SCO) Freiburg (GER) v West Ham (ENG) Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Atalanta (ITA) AC Milan (ITA) v Slavia Prague (CZE) Qarabag (AZE) v Bayer Leverkusen (GER) First legs to be played on March 7, second legs to be played on March 14

Europa League: Liverpool to face Sparta Prague in last 16; Leverkusen to take on Azeris Qarabag

Cody Gakpo's double fired Liverpool into the Europa League last 16 as they routed LASK 4-0, while Brighton advanced to the knockout round with a 1-0 win at AEK Athens on Thursday (Nov 30).

Cody Gakpo's double fired Liverpool into the Europa League last 16 as they routed LASK 4-0, while Brighton advanced to the knockout round with a 1-0 win at AEK Athens on Thursday (Nov 30). Jurgen Klopp's side sealed top spot in Group E thanks to Gakpo's brace and goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah at Anfield. Second-placed Toulouse's 0-0 draw against Union Saint-Gilloise in the other group game means Klopp can rest players for his team's last remaining pool stage fixture. Europa League group winners go through to the last 16 automatically, while the runners-up play in a two-legged knockout round play-off in February against a team who finish third in a Champions League group. Klopp made nine changes from the side which drew with Premier League champions Manchester City last Saturday, with Salah and Kostas Tsimikas the only players to keep their places. Rising to meet Joe Gomez's cross, Diaz netted his first goal at Anfield since August as his header raced past LASK keeper Tobias Lawal in the 12th minute. Having opened the scoring, Diaz helped set up Liverpool's second three minutes later when he picked out Salah, who teed up Gakpo to net from close range. Salah killed off the out-classed Austrians in the 51st minute, stroking home a penalty for his 13th goal this season after Gakpo was fouled by Lawal. Dutch forward Gakpo capped the demolition with a fierce strike in stoppage time. Unlike Liverpool's rich history in continental competition, Brighton are competing in Europe for the first time and the Seagulls' adventure will continue into the New Year thanks to Joao Pedro's winner in Greece. Damian Szymanski fouled Joao Pedro in the 55th minute and the Brazilian striker picked himself up to slot home the penalty. AEK's fate was sealed when they were reduced to 10 men in the 85th minute when Mijat Gacinovic earned a second booking for a foul on Joel Veltman. Roberto De Zerbi's side are second in Group B, one point behind Marseille following the French side's dramatic 4-3 win over 10-man Ajax. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick for Marseille, including the winner with a penalty three minutes into stoppage time. In the midst of a wretched season, Ajax had Steven Berghuis sent off in the 63rd minute and were consigned to elimination by their late defeat. "Who knows how far we can go?" Brighton captain Lewis Dunk said. "We want to win it and you've got to dream big to achieve it. "We're going to set our sights on reaching the final and winning it." Soucek strikes late West Ham moved into the knockout round after a late Tomas Soucek goal saw off Backa Topola 1-0 in Serbia. Soucek's 89th-minute volley from Maxwel Cornet's cross sealed the victory that put his team top of Group A. Second-placed Freiburg thrashed Olympiakos 5-0 to join West Ham in the knockout round. There is a three-way battle for qualification from Group C after third-placed Sparta Prague beat leaders Real Betis 1-0, while second-placed Rangers drew 1-1 with Aris Limassol. Atalanta wrapped up top spot in Group D after a 1-1 draw against second-placed Sporting Lisbon, who are also through to the knockout round. Rennes' 3-0 win against Maccabi Haifa took the French team to the top of Group F and into the knockout round, with Villarreal joining them after their 3-2 victory over Panathinaikos. Slavia Prague's 3-2 win at Sheriff sealed their knockout round place from Group G and Roma also advanced with a 1-1 draw at Servette. Bayer Leverkusen go through to the last 16 as Group H winners after beating Hacken 2-0. In the Europa Conference League, crowd troubled marred Aston Villa's 2-1 win against Legia Warsaw as three police officers were injured in clashes with Polish fans. The game was played with Legia supporters kept out of the stadium following the pre-match violence, which included flares and missiles being hurled at police.

Europa League: Liverpool thump LASK, Marseille clinch thriller against Ajax

Serie A club AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has mocked Monza midfielder Papu Gomez after the latter was banned from professional football after&nbsp;testing positive for doping.&nbsp;

Mourinho, known for his witty comebacks was returning the favour to Gomez after the Argentine had poked fun&nbsp;at the Champions League winning manager.&nbsp;

“Gomez? He didn't play in the Europa League final, I think he played against Juventus with positive control, but I don't want to take that syrup otherwise I'll be in trouble too," Mourinho quipped.&nbsp;

"I don't remember playing against him in the Europa League final. What happened to him isn't my problem, dealing with the subject would put me in difficulty," he added.&nbsp;

<h2>Gomez's dig at Mourinho&nbsp;</h2>

Notably, Gomez, part of the Sevilla squad that beat Mourinho's Roma last season in the Europa League final had taken a dig at the Portuguese.&nbsp;

“Mourinho? I only have one memory of him and that is winning the Europa League with Sevilla against him a few months ago," said Gomez.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jose-mourinho-given-four-match-ban-for-insulting-referee-anthony-taylor-in-europa-league-final-607074">Also read |&nbsp;Jose Mourinho given four-match ban for insulting referee Anthony Taylor in Europa League final</a>

Since making the rather notorious statement, Gomez has been hit with a two-year ban from football for breaching doping regulations.&nbsp;

Days after being hit with the ban, Gomez on Sunday (Oct 22) released his first public statement wherein he claimed that the positive result came about because he "accidentally ingested" cough medicine while trying to treat his son.

The 35-year-old wrote on Instagram:&nbsp;"I confirm that I received word from the Spanish anti-doping commission that my licence is suspended for a period of two years. I always not just rigorously respected all the rules, but also stood up as a strong defender of clean sport and sporting behaviour, condemning categorically any forms of doping."

"The presumed violation originates from the presence of Terbutaline in my system, which I accidentally ingested with a spoonful of cough syrup for my son, to alleviate his cough."

The Argentine added that his lawyers were looking to protest the disciplinary case saying it&nbsp;was not treated according to the norms.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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Serie A club AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has mocked Monza midfielder Papu Gomez after the latter was banned from professional football after testing positive for doping.

Serie A club AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has mocked Monza midfielder Papu Gomez after the latter was banned from professional football after testing positive for doping. Mourinho, known for his witty comebacks was returning the favour to Gomez after the Argentine had poked fun at the Champions League winning manager. “Gomez? He didn't play in the Europa League final, I think he played against Juventus with positive control, but I don't want to take that syrup otherwise I'll be in trouble too," Mourinho quipped. "I don't remember playing against him in the Europa League final. What happened to him isn't my problem, dealing with the subject would put me in difficulty," he added. Gomez's dig at Mourinho Notably, Gomez, part of the Sevilla squad that beat Mourinho's Roma last season in the Europa League final had taken a dig at the Portuguese. “Mourinho? I only have one memory of him and that is winning the Europa League with Sevilla against him a few months ago," said Gomez. Also read | Jose Mourinho given four-match ban for insulting referee Anthony Taylor in Europa League final Since making the rather notorious statement, Gomez has been hit with a two-year ban from football for breaching doping regulations. Days after being hit with the ban, Gomez on Sunday (Oct 22) released his first public statement wherein he claimed that the positive result came about because he "accidentally ingested" cough medicine while trying to treat his son. The 35-year-old wrote on Instagram: "I confirm that I received word from the Spanish anti-doping commission that my licence is suspended for a period of two years. I always not just rigorously respected all the rules, but also stood up as a strong defender of clean sport and sporting behaviour, condemning categorically any forms of doping." "The presumed violation originates from the presence of Terbutaline in my system, which I accidentally ingested with a spoonful of cough syrup for my son, to alleviate his cough." The Argentine added that his lawyers were looking to protest the disciplinary case saying it was not treated according to the norms. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'I don't want to take that syrup...': Jose Mourinho mocks Papu Gomez after Argentine's doping ban

Liverpool were handed a kind draw on Friday for this season's Europa League group stage while their Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion can look forward to meeting European giants Ajax and Marseille in their first ever foray into continental competition.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds will play LASK of Austria, Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium and French Cup holders Toulouse in Group E.

The Anfield club are appearing in the Europa League for the first time since 2015/16, when they lost the final to Sevilla, after finishing fifth in last season's Premier League.

Brighton finished sixth domestically last season to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history and have been rewarded with a glamour draw in Group B.

The Seagulls will play Ajax, the four-time former European champions and UEFA Cup winners in 1992, as well as 1993 Champions League winners Marseille and Greek champions AEK Athens.

Last season's Europa Conference League winners West Ham United will also go to Greece to play Olympiakos in Group A, which will also contain German Bundesliga side Freiburg and TSC Backa Topola of Serbia.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/sports/transfer-deadline-day-live-football-transfer-window-premier-league-bundesliga-manchester-city-chelsea-631180">Transfer Deadline Day Live: Chelsea complete Cole Palmer deal, João Palhinha to Bayern, Højbjerg to Fulham</a>

TSC are making a rare foray into Europe after coming second in the Serbian league last season.

Following their defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-offs, 2022 Europa League runners-up Rangers were drawn in Group C with Real Betis, Czech champions Sparta Prague and Aris Limassol, the Cypriot title-holders.

Jose Mourinho's Roma, who lost last season's final on penalties to Sevilla, will play Slavia Prague, Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and Servette of Geneva in Group G.

The first round of group-stage matches will be played on September 21, with this season's Europa League final being held in Dublin on May 22, 2024.

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Liverpool were handed a kind draw on Friday for this season's Europa League group stage while their Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion can look forward to meeting European giants Ajax and Marseille in their first ever foray into continental competition.

Liverpool were handed a kind draw on Friday for this season's Europa League group stage while their Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion can look forward to meeting European giants Ajax and Marseille in their first ever foray into continental competition. Jurgen Klopp's Reds will play LASK of Austria, Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium and French Cup holders Toulouse in Group E. The Anfield club are appearing in the Europa League for the first time since 2015/16, when they lost the final to Sevilla, after finishing fifth in last season's Premier League. Brighton finished sixth domestically last season to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history and have been rewarded with a glamour draw in Group B. The Seagulls will play Ajax, the four-time former European champions and UEFA Cup winners in 1992, as well as 1993 Champions League winners Marseille and Greek champions AEK Athens. Last season's Europa Conference League winners West Ham United will also go to Greece to play Olympiakos in Group A, which will also contain German Bundesliga side Freiburg and TSC Backa Topola of Serbia. ALSO READ | Transfer Deadline Day Live: Chelsea complete Cole Palmer deal, João Palhinha to Bayern, Højbjerg to Fulham TSC are making a rare foray into Europe after coming second in the Serbian league last season. Following their defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-offs, 2022 Europa League runners-up Rangers were drawn in Group C with Real Betis, Czech champions Sparta Prague and Aris Limassol, the Cypriot title-holders. Jose Mourinho's Roma, who lost last season's final on penalties to Sevilla, will play Slavia Prague, Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and Servette of Geneva in Group G. The first round of group-stage matches will be played on September 21, with this season's Europa League final being held in Dublin on May 22, 2024. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Liverpool get kind Europa League draw, Brighton to face Ajax and Marseille

The new stoppage-time rules that English soccer has enacted this season to avoid time wasting are "absurd" and will not be used in UEFA competitions, said Zvonimir Boban, the European governing body's chief of football, on Wednesday.

Following FIFA's approach at the men's and women's World Cups, England's referees body said in July officials would add on the exact time lost to goal celebrations, substitutions and injuries.

The aim is to increase the time the ball is in play, with games now routinely going beyond 100 minutes in total.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-transfer-chelsea-man-city-gear-up-for-final-push-as-cole-palmer-matheus-nunes-moves-edges-closer-630842">Football Transfer: Chelsea, Man City gear up for final push as Cole Palmer, Matheus Nunes moves edges closer</a>

Manchester city midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester United defender Raphael Varane and global players' union FIFPRO have criticised the new approach, saying it will increase player workload in an already packed schedule.

"It's absolutely absurd," former AC Milan and Croatia midfielder Boban told reporters in Monaco. "Regarding player welfare, it's some kind of small tragedy or big tragedy because we are adding almost 12, 13, 14 minutes.

"When you play 60, 65 minutes - I can speak from my experience, especially as a midfielder - when you get tired, it's the last 30 minutes of the game. And then somebody comes and adds another 15 minutes.

"How often we have spoken critically about the calendar and too many games. We are not listening to players and coaches ... It's crazy. It's too much, so we will not do this. Our guidelines are different."

UEFA's chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti backed Boban and said the governing body had been working for five years to increase the time the ball was in play during its competitions.

"There is something more important than the accuracy of additional time," Rosetti said. Why do people like the Champions League so much? Because it's intensive, it's fantastic, the players never stop.

"We tell our referees to speed up the restart of play instead of focusing on stoppage time."

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The new stoppage-time rules that English soccer has enacted this season to avoid time wasting are "absurd" and will not be used in UEFA competitions, said Zvonimir Boban, the European governing body's chief of football, on Wednesday.

The new stoppage-time rules that English soccer has enacted this season to avoid time wasting are "absurd" and will not be used in UEFA competitions, said Zvonimir Boban, the European governing body's chief of football, on Wednesday. Following FIFA's approach at the men's and women's World Cups, England's referees body said in July officials would add on the exact time lost to goal celebrations, substitutions and injuries. The aim is to increase the time the ball is in play, with games now routinely going beyond 100 minutes in total. ALSO READ: Football Transfer: Chelsea, Man City gear up for final push as Cole Palmer, Matheus Nunes moves edges closer Manchester city midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester United defender Raphael Varane and global players' union FIFPRO have criticised the new approach, saying it will increase player workload in an already packed schedule. "It's absolutely absurd," former AC Milan and Croatia midfielder Boban told reporters in Monaco. "Regarding player welfare, it's some kind of small tragedy or big tragedy because we are adding almost 12, 13, 14 minutes. "When you play 60, 65 minutes - I can speak from my experience, especially as a midfielder - when you get tired, it's the last 30 minutes of the game. And then somebody comes and adds another 15 minutes. "How often we have spoken critically about the calendar and too many games. We are not listening to players and coaches ... It's crazy. It's too much, so we will not do this. Our guidelines are different." UEFA's chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti backed Boban and said the governing body had been working for five years to increase the time the ball was in play during its competitions. "There is something more important than the accuracy of additional time," Rosetti said. Why do people like the Champions League so much? Because it's intensive, it's fantastic, the players never stop. "We tell our referees to speed up the restart of play instead of focusing on stoppage time." WATCH WION LIVE HERE

UEFA to snub Premier League-adopted 'absurd' new stoppage-time rules in European competitions - Officials

Jose Mourinho has been suspended for four European matches for insulting referee Anthony Taylor after Roma's Europa League final defeat by Sevilla, UEFA announced on Wednesday.

The Portuguese confronted Taylor in a car park following Roma's penalty shoot-out loss after a 1-1 draw in Budapest.

Mourinho has been banned from "the next four UEFA club competition matches in which he would otherwise participate, for directing abusive language at a match official", European football's governing body said.

His team will play in the Europa League group stage next season.

Roma have also been fined 50,000 euros ($54,744) and banned from taking away fans to their next European match "for the lighting of fireworks, throwing of objects, acts of damage and crowd disturbances".

The Italian club were also fined 5,000 euros over the "improper conduct of their team" and ordered to "contact the Hungarian Football Federation within 30 days" to agree a settlement regarding damages caused by their supporters in the stadium.

Taylor was harassed by Roma fans at Budapest airport with his family the day after the controversial final.

An Italian man was charged with affray after the ugly clash.

Referees' body PGMOL said: "We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-going-to-ben-stokes-backs-declaration-call-after-england-lose-edgbaston-test-to-australia-606798">'Not going to...': Ben Stokes backs declaration call after England lose Edgbaston Test to Australia</a>

Taylor booked 13 players, seven of them from Roma, while the bad-tempered game was littered with delays due to the unusually high number of fouls.

It was Sevilla's seventh Europa League triumph and the first European final defeat of Mourinho's managerial career.

Sevilla were not punished by UEFA despite having also been charged over a pitch invasion and the behaviour of their fans and the players.

West Ham were also fined 58,000 euros and cannot take fans to their first two Europa League away games next season following their Europa Conference League triumph over Fiorentina.

The Italian club's captain Cristiano Biraghi suffered a head injury inflicted by a cup thrown by a West Ham supporter.

West Ham, who won the final 2-1 in Prague, were also sanctioned for a pitch invasion.

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Jose Mourinho has been suspended for four European matches for insulting referee Anthony Taylor after Roma's Europa League final defeat by Sevilla, UEFA announced on Wednesday.

Jose Mourinho has been suspended for four European matches for insulting referee Anthony Taylor after Roma's Europa League final defeat by Sevilla, UEFA announced on Wednesday. The Portuguese confronted Taylor in a car park following Roma's penalty shoot-out loss after a 1-1 draw in Budapest. Mourinho has been banned from "the next four UEFA club competition matches in which he would otherwise participate, for directing abusive language at a match official", European football's governing body said. His team will play in the Europa League group stage next season. Roma have also been fined 50,000 euros ($54,744) and banned from taking away fans to their next European match "for the lighting of fireworks, throwing of objects, acts of damage and crowd disturbances". The Italian club were also fined 5,000 euros over the "improper conduct of their team" and ordered to "contact the Hungarian Football Federation within 30 days" to agree a settlement regarding damages caused by their supporters in the stadium. Taylor was harassed by Roma fans at Budapest airport with his family the day after the controversial final. An Italian man was charged with affray after the ugly clash. Referees' body PGMOL said: "We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final." ALSO READ | 'Not going to...': Ben Stokes backs declaration call after England lose Edgbaston Test to Australia Taylor booked 13 players, seven of them from Roma, while the bad-tempered game was littered with delays due to the unusually high number of fouls. It was Sevilla's seventh Europa League triumph and the first European final defeat of Mourinho's managerial career. Sevilla were not punished by UEFA despite having also been charged over a pitch invasion and the behaviour of their fans and the players. West Ham were also fined 58,000 euros and cannot take fans to their first two Europa League away games next season following their Europa Conference League triumph over Fiorentina. The Italian club's captain Cristiano Biraghi suffered a head injury inflicted by a cup thrown by a West Ham supporter. West Ham, who won the final 2-1 in Prague, were also sanctioned for a pitch invasion. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Jose Mourinho given four-match ban for insulting referee Anthony Taylor in Europa League final

Anthony Taylor - one of the match referees in the Europa League Final, alongside his family, was harassed and attacked by Roma fans at the Budapest airport in a shocking turn of events.

Anthony Taylor - one of the match referees in the Europa League Final, alongside his family, was harassed and attacked by Roma fans at the Budapest airport in a shocking turn of events. As per videos doing rounds on social media, fans hurled insulting remarks at him, with one of them even throwing a chair, which narrowly missed him. The incident happened against the backdrop of Roma fans getting angry over a clear-cut penalty not given by him during the finale, which saw Sevilla winning the league for a record seventh time in the penalty shootout. ALSO READ: Cristiano Ronaldo puts transfer rumours to rest following trophy-less first season at Al Nassr After 120 minutes, the scoreline read 1-1, and the match went into a penalty shootout, where Sevilla won by a 4-1 margin. In the video given below, Taylor and his family were ambushed by the fans, with some of them also throwing beverages at them. You can watch the videos here – Embarassing Roma fans abusing Anthony Taylor who is with family on his way at the airport. Disgusting. You can see his daughter in tears and drinks being thrown at his wife too.pic.twitter.com/ljTwo239dB — Saturnion :) (@saturnion13) June 1, 2023 × Anthony Taylor the worst is yet to come.pic.twitter.com/bC3cYkvshs — MourinhoXtra™ (@Mourinho_Xtra) June 1, 2023 × Not only this but Roma manager Jose Mourinho also criticised Taylor after the game while waiting for him in the parking lot. After the final ended, Mourinho, who was given a silver medal for his team standing second in the contest, gave it away to a fan in the crowd. When asked about Taylor during the post-match presser, Mourinho expressed his displeasure over the umpiring during the game that saw Roma fall second. "It was an intense, masculine, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time," Mourinho said. Other than him, Roma general manager Tiago Pinto, also questioned Taylor’s umpiring in a statement to Italian news agency ANSA on Thursday. “We at AS Roma don’t want to raise doubts about Sevilla’s merits. We believe that with our opponents we put on a great final and honoured the stage offered to us by UEFA in the best way,” Pinto said. “We don’t usually comment immediately about these types of situations but over the course of today we’ve analysed both the most glaring incidents and those seemingly less evident and it is clear that in disciplinary terms, the refereeing of the match was not balanced,” Pinto said. With Roma also finishing sixth on the points table in the Serie A this time, they missed out on a chance of playing in the Champions League next season. It has also cast some doubts over Mourinho’s future at the club, who, at least for now, said he would get back on this in a few days. PGMOL condemns the attack on Taylor The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) - an English top-tier referees association, said in a statement, “We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final. "We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family,” the referees association added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Europa League Final: WATCH - Referee Anthony Taylor and family harassed by Roma fans at Budapest airport

Jose Mourinho has been charged with using abusive language against a match official, governing body UEFA said on Friday after the Portuguese manager was filmed shouting at officials following AS Roma's loss to Sevilla in the Europa League final.

Mourinho was critical of the refereeing after the game, saying, "It was an intense, masculine, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time."

Following the match, referee Anthony Taylor and his family were harassed by Roma fans at Budapest Airport. In the video, fans of the Serie A club could be seen abusing the 44-year-old Taylor and his family, who required protection from airport security as they sought refuge in a safe area.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pgmol-condemns-abuse-directed-at-europa-league-final-referee-anthony-taylor-by-roma-fans-599668">PGMOL condemns abuse directed at Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor by Roma fans</a>

PGMOL, which oversees refereeing in English professional football, condemned the incident. Both teams' supporters were also charged with setting off fireworks and throwing objects, while Roma's fans were alleged to have committed acts of damage along with other crowd disturbances.

Sevilla have additionally been charged over a pitch invasion by their supporters, who raced out onto the field after Gonzalo Montiel fired home the winning spot kick.

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Jose Mourinho has been charged with using abusive language against a match official, governing body UEFA said on Friday after the Portuguese manager was filmed shouting at officials following AS Roma's loss to Sevilla in the Europa League final.

Jose Mourinho has been charged with using abusive language against a match official, governing body UEFA said on Friday after the Portuguese manager was filmed shouting at officials following AS Roma's loss to Sevilla in the Europa League final. Mourinho was critical of the refereeing after the game, saying, "It was an intense, masculine, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time." Following the match, referee Anthony Taylor and his family were harassed by Roma fans at Budapest Airport. In the video, fans of the Serie A club could be seen abusing the 44-year-old Taylor and his family, who required protection from airport security as they sought refuge in a safe area. Also Read: PGMOL condemns abuse directed at Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor by Roma fans PGMOL, which oversees refereeing in English professional football, condemned the incident. Both teams' supporters were also charged with setting off fireworks and throwing objects, while Roma's fans were alleged to have committed acts of damage along with other crowd disturbances. Sevilla have additionally been charged over a pitch invasion by their supporters, who raced out onto the field after Gonzalo Montiel fired home the winning spot kick. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho charged for abusing match official during Sevilla loss in Europa League final

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has condemned the AS Roma fans after they directed abuse at Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor at the Budapest Airport on Wednesday evening. Fans from Roma, the losing side in the final, were seen chanting abuse at Taylor for making wrong decisions that cost their side a place in the Champions League next season. Roma were reportedly denied a penalty in the second half despite replays showing Sevilla defender handled the ball in the area.

<h2>PGMOI condemns AS Roma fans</h2>

"(We are) aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport.

"We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the Uefa Europa League final.

"We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family."

The chants directed on Wednesday were not the only focal points as Taylor was also abused by Roma coach Jose Mourinho in the parking lot. Jose was seen assaulting Taylor for his referring decisions in harsh words and is likely to face UEFA sanctions in the coming days.

"No-one should have to suffer the inexcusable behaviour they had to endure.

"Anthony is one of our most experienced and accomplished match officials and we fully support him and his family."

"All referees have a really difficult job and shouldn't be put through any difficult situations. That's not correct,” West Ham manager David Moyes, whose side play Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-final-against-india-is-our-grand-finale-ahead-of-ashes-2023-says-australian-spinner-nathan-lyon-599610">WTC final against India is our grand-finale ahead of Ashes 2023, says Australian spinner Nathan Lyon</a>

<h2>What happened in the contest?</h2>

Despite taking a first half lead in the contest through Paulo Dybala, Roma were left to fume as they lost the lead in the second half. A Lorenzo Pellegrini own goal in the second half saw Sevilla come back in the contest and take the game to extra time. Sevilla too had a penalty call overturned before the Italian side had a decision going against them in the second half.

Roma had a close call in the closing stages of the extra time, but Sevilla ultimately survived to take the match to a penalty shootout. An impeccable show of composure in the shootout saw, Sevilla clinch their seventh Europa League title and thus qualify for the Champions League next term.

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The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has condemned the AS Roma fans after they directed abuse at Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor at the Budapest Airport on Wednesday evening.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has condemned the AS Roma fans after they directed abuse at Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor at the Budapest Airport on Wednesday evening. Fans from Roma, the losing side in the final, were seen chanting abuse at Taylor for making wrong decisions that cost their side a place in the Champions League next season. Roma were reportedly denied a penalty in the second half despite replays showing Sevilla defender handled the ball in the area. PGMOI condemns AS Roma fans "(We are) aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport. "We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the Uefa Europa League final. "We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family." The chants directed on Wednesday were not the only focal points as Taylor was also abused by Roma coach Jose Mourinho in the parking lot. Jose was seen assaulting Taylor for his referring decisions in harsh words and is likely to face UEFA sanctions in the coming days. "No-one should have to suffer the inexcusable behaviour they had to endure. "Anthony is one of our most experienced and accomplished match officials and we fully support him and his family." "All referees have a really difficult job and shouldn't be put through any difficult situations. That's not correct,” West Ham manager David Moyes, whose side play Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday said. ALSO READ | WTC final against India is our grand-finale ahead of Ashes 2023, says Australian spinner Nathan Lyon What happened in the contest? Despite taking a first half lead in the contest through Paulo Dybala, Roma were left to fume as they lost the lead in the second half. A Lorenzo Pellegrini own goal in the second half saw Sevilla come back in the contest and take the game to extra time. Sevilla too had a penalty call overturned before the Italian side had a decision going against them in the second half. Roma had a close call in the closing stages of the extra time, but Sevilla ultimately survived to take the match to a penalty shootout. An impeccable show of composure in the shootout saw, Sevilla clinch their seventh Europa League title and thus qualify for the Champions League next term. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

PGMOL condemns abuse directed at Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor by Roma fans

AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho said he was uncertain about his future at the club following their 4-1 penalty shootout defeat in the Europa League final against Sevilla on Wednesday. The defeat meant Roma failed to qualify for next season's Champions League and prompted questions about whether the 60-year-old would remain in the Italian capital, having been linked with Paris St Germain.

"I have to fight for these lads and therefore not say objectively that I will remain," Mourinho told Sky Sports Italia. "I spoke to the club in December when I had that approach from the Portuguese national team."

“I have not had any contact with anyone else since then. I have a year left on my contract and this is the situation.”

It was Mourinho's first defeat in a European final, but he said he was proud of his team's performance and acknowledged that the season had taken its toll.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sevilla-beat-roma-4-1-on-penalties-to-win-seventh-europa-league-title-598950">Europa League kings Sevilla beat Roma on penalties to win seventh crown</a>

"We're physically exhausted, mentally drained, feeling dead because we believe it's an unjust defeat with numerous debatable incidents."

"We are dead tired, but proud. I always say you can lose a football match, but never your dignity or professionalism...I lost this one, but I return home prouder than ever this time. The lads gave absolutely everything this season."

Mourinho also criticised referee Anthony Taylor, adding that the Englishman showed too many yellow cards.

"It was an intense, masculine, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time," he said. “We are accustomed to the influence of referees in our games, it’s nothing new, but I didn’t expect it in a European final,” he told DAZN later.

<h2>Jose gives his silver medal to a fan in the crowd</h2>

Shortly after being presented with the second-placed silver medal, Jose Mourinho gave it to a fan standing in the crowd near the dugout. Clearly upset over some of the refereeing calls during the game – Jose, who lost his first European final, didn’t look keen on accepting the medal amid talks about his future with the club. 
 
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Mourinho gave his medal to a fan <a href="https://t.co/bs7lcbpTjL">pic.twitter.com/bs7lcbpTjL</a>
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Besides, the Special One was heard openly criticising one of the on-field officials, Anthony Taylor during the post-match presser.

A video is also circulating on social media where Mourinho is seen using curse words for the English referee.

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Jose Mourinho says to referee Anthony Taylor “it’s a f****** disgrace” after Roma’s Europa League final loss to Seville 👇 
<a href="https://t.co/G0Uo2Dtqcc">pic.twitter.com/G0Uo2Dtqcc</a>
— Scott Bradley (@ScottBradleyX) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottBradleyX/status/1664083751226290178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho said he was uncertain about his future at the club following their 4-1 penalty shootout defeat in the Europa League final against Sevilla on Wednesday.

AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho said he was uncertain about his future at the club following their 4-1 penalty shootout defeat in the Europa League final against Sevilla on Wednesday. The defeat meant Roma failed to qualify for next season's Champions League and prompted questions about whether the 60-year-old would remain in the Italian capital, having been linked with Paris St Germain. "I have to fight for these lads and therefore not say objectively that I will remain," Mourinho told Sky Sports Italia. "I spoke to the club in December when I had that approach from the Portuguese national team." “I have not had any contact with anyone else since then. I have a year left on my contract and this is the situation.” It was Mourinho's first defeat in a European final, but he said he was proud of his team's performance and acknowledged that the season had taken its toll. ALSO READ: Europa League kings Sevilla beat Roma on penalties to win seventh crown "We're physically exhausted, mentally drained, feeling dead because we believe it's an unjust defeat with numerous debatable incidents." "We are dead tired, but proud. I always say you can lose a football match, but never your dignity or professionalism...I lost this one, but I return home prouder than ever this time. The lads gave absolutely everything this season." Mourinho also criticised referee Anthony Taylor, adding that the Englishman showed too many yellow cards. "It was an intense, masculine, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time," he said. “We are accustomed to the influence of referees in our games, it’s nothing new, but I didn’t expect it in a European final,” he told DAZN later. Jose gives his silver medal to a fan in the crowd Shortly after being presented with the second-placed silver medal, Jose Mourinho gave it to a fan standing in the crowd near the dugout. Clearly upset over some of the refereeing calls during the game – Jose, who lost his first European final, didn’t look keen on accepting the medal amid talks about his future with the club. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE – Mourinho gave his medal to a fan pic.twitter.com/bs7lcbpTjL — Sean Gillen (@SeanGillen9) May 31, 2023 × Besides, the Special One was heard openly criticising one of the on-field officials, Anthony Taylor during the post-match presser. A video is also circulating on social media where Mourinho is seen using curse words for the English referee. Jose Mourinho says to referee Anthony Taylor “it’s a f****** disgrace” after Roma’s Europa League final loss to Seville 👇 pic.twitter.com/G0Uo2Dtqcc — Scott Bradley (@ScottBradleyX) June 1, 2023 × WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WATCH: Jose Mourinho gives away his silver medal amid speculations surrounding future at AS Roma

Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla worked their magic yet again to beat AS Roma 4-1 on penalties on Wednesday and lift the trophy for a record-extending seventh time, handing Roma boss Jose Mourinho his first defeat in six European finals.

After an unspectacular match ended 1-1 after extra time, Sevilla ruthlessly punished the Italians in the shootout, with Gonzalo Montiel firing home the winning spot kick, just as he did for Argentina in the World Cup final against France.

The defender had missed his first effort but was handed a reprieve when Roma keeper Rui Patricio was adjudged to have come off the line too early and he made no mistake with his second, sparking jubilant celebrations.

Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou was their hero in the shootout, saving penalties from Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez while the Spaniards were flawless in their own execution, scoring their first four.

Sevilla, the undisputed kings of the Europa League, have now won all seven of the finals they have played in the competition, and are well-versed in the drama of the occasion, having seen their opponents score first in the last four finals.

It was a tense and ill-tempered affair from the start on Wednesday, with Roma defending deep with a five-man backline against Sevilla, who had almost 65% possession but were kept mostly outside the Italian's crowded box.

The match was tetchy with referee Anthony Taylor dishing out 14 yellow cards, the most ever in a Europa League game, and playing almost 30 minutes of stoppage time in total.

Paulo Dybala gave Roma the lead from a counter-attack in the 35th minute but Sevilla then took control of the game and found the equaliser thanks to an own-goal by Mancini in the 55th minute.

Sevilla dominated the match after that but Roma had the better chances from counter-attacks and set-pieces, including a Chris Smalling header that hit the crossbar in the 10th minute of added time in extra time.

<h2>Difficult season</h2>

Sevilla maintained their incredible record in the competition after an otherwise difficult season.

Languishing in the bottom half of LaLiga for a large part of a campaign in which they fired two managers, Sevilla only rediscovered their form after exiting the Champions League.

Their run to the final saw them beat PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce and Manchester United before downing Juventus in the semis.

"It was a Sevilla-style match. We have to suffer to win," Lucas Ocampos told Spanish TV channel Movistar Plus.

"This is not easy. What we have with this competition is something that cannot be explained."

It was the third consecutive Europa League final that ended in a penalty shootout.

The win means Sevilla will compete in next season's Champions League despite finishing outside the top four in the LaLiga.

Mourinho had never lost a European final before Wednesday, having last year led Roma to the inaugural Europa Conference League title, becoming the first coach to win all the European trophies.

Losing was clearly a painful experience for the Portuguese who handed his runners-up medal to a fan in the stand after the presentation.

"That's what I did, I don't want silver medals. I don't keep silver medals, so I gave it away," he told Movistar. 
 
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Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla worked their magic yet again to beat AS Roma 4-1 on penalties on Wednesday and lift the trophy for a record-extending seventh time, handing Roma boss Jose Mourinho his first defeat in six European finals.

Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla worked their magic yet again to beat AS Roma 4-1 on penalties on Wednesday and lift the trophy for a record-extending seventh time, handing Roma boss Jose Mourinho his first defeat in six European finals. After an unspectacular match ended 1-1 after extra time, Sevilla ruthlessly punished the Italians in the shootout, with Gonzalo Montiel firing home the winning spot kick, just as he did for Argentina in the World Cup final against France. The defender had missed his first effort but was handed a reprieve when Roma keeper Rui Patricio was adjudged to have come off the line too early and he made no mistake with his second, sparking jubilant celebrations. Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou was their hero in the shootout, saving penalties from Gianluca Mancini and Roger Ibanez while the Spaniards were flawless in their own execution, scoring their first four. Sevilla, the undisputed kings of the Europa League, have now won all seven of the finals they have played in the competition, and are well-versed in the drama of the occasion, having seen their opponents score first in the last four finals. It was a tense and ill-tempered affair from the start on Wednesday, with Roma defending deep with a five-man backline against Sevilla, who had almost 65% possession but were kept mostly outside the Italian's crowded box. The match was tetchy with referee Anthony Taylor dishing out 14 yellow cards, the most ever in a Europa League game, and playing almost 30 minutes of stoppage time in total. Paulo Dybala gave Roma the lead from a counter-attack in the 35th minute but Sevilla then took control of the game and found the equaliser thanks to an own-goal by Mancini in the 55th minute. Sevilla dominated the match after that but Roma had the better chances from counter-attacks and set-pieces, including a Chris Smalling header that hit the crossbar in the 10th minute of added time in extra time. Difficult season Sevilla maintained their incredible record in the competition after an otherwise difficult season. Languishing in the bottom half of LaLiga for a large part of a campaign in which they fired two managers, Sevilla only rediscovered their form after exiting the Champions League. Their run to the final saw them beat PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce and Manchester United before downing Juventus in the semis. "It was a Sevilla-style match. We have to suffer to win," Lucas Ocampos told Spanish TV channel Movistar Plus. "This is not easy. What we have with this competition is something that cannot be explained." It was the third consecutive Europa League final that ended in a penalty shootout. The win means Sevilla will compete in next season's Champions League despite finishing outside the top four in the LaLiga. Mourinho had never lost a European final before Wednesday, having last year led Roma to the inaugural Europa Conference League title, becoming the first coach to win all the European trophies. Losing was clearly a painful experience for the Portuguese who handed his runners-up medal to a fan in the stand after the presentation. "That's what I did, I don't want silver medals. I don't keep silver medals, so I gave it away," he told Movistar. WATCH WION LIVE HERE × You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Europa League kings Sevilla beat Roma on penalties to win seventh crown

AS Roma will search for a place in the history books on Wednesday, May 31 as they take on record Sevilla in the final of the Europa League at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Led by Jose Mourinho, Roma could become the first team to win both the Europa League and the Conference League, having reached glory heights 12 months ago in the third tier of European football. Sevilla on the other side will look to add another title to their trophy cabinet, having won the competition on six occasions in less than two decades.

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<h2>Sevilla target another glory date</h2>

Having lifted the Europa League title on six occasions, Sevilla have never lost in the final while Jose Mourinho has never lost a European final. After a turbulent campaign in Spanish La Liga, José Luis Mendilibar's side could reach the Champions League next term despite fighting relegation for the majority season. The Spanish side has already beaten the likes of Manchester United and Juventus on their way to the final and have all the tools in the arsenal to reach the promised land on Wednesday evening.

<h2>Roma target Champions League football</h2>

After a poor end to the league season, Roma will look to add back-to-back European titles if they win the Europa League. Coach Mourinho has an impeccable record in the competition and won the Europa League with Porto (2003) and Manchester United (2017) and could become the first manager to win the competition with three different clubs. The legendary manager could add to his illustrious European trophy cabinet consisting of two Champions League trophies as well.

With both teams failing to make the Champions League next season for their domestic leagues, this will be a golden opportunity for both to make the elites if they go all the way.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-shouldve-played-odi-wc-2019-anil-kumble-recalls-csk-star-ambati-rayudus-shocking-omission-598771">'He should've played ODI WC 2019': Anil Kumble recalls CSK star Ambati Rayudu's shocking omission</a>

<h2>Team News</h2>

Joan Jordan and Suso have overcome injuries to return to contention, both Tanguy Nianzou and Marcao remain doubts and Marcos Acuna is suspended, but Mendilibar still has plenty of options to choose from.

Leonardo Spinazzola is also set to make it back in time for the final, having resumed full training at the start of the week; therefore, only Rick Karsdorp and Marash Kumbulla remain sidelined.

<h2>Possible Playing XI</h2>

Sevilla possible starting lineup:

Bounou; Navas, Bade, Gudelj, Telles; Fernando, Rakitic; Ocampos, Torres, Gil; En-Nesyri

Roma possible starting lineup:

Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Zalewski, Cristante, Matic, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, El Shaarawy; Abraham

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AS Roma will search for a place in the history books on Wednesday, May 31 as they take on record Sevilla in the final of the Europa League at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.

AS Roma will search for a place in the history books on Wednesday, May 31 as they take on record Sevilla in the final of the Europa League at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Led by Jose Mourinho, Roma could become the first team to win both the Europa League and the Conference League, having reached glory heights 12 months ago in the third tier of European football. Sevilla on the other side will look to add another title to their trophy cabinet, having won the competition on six occasions in less than two decades. 🇭🇺🏆 Showtime!#UELfinal x @andeeborn pic.twitter.com/839wwqjqwu — UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 31, 2023 × Sevilla target another glory date Having lifted the Europa League title on six occasions, Sevilla have never lost in the final while Jose Mourinho has never lost a European final. After a turbulent campaign in Spanish La Liga, José Luis Mendilibar's side could reach the Champions League next term despite fighting relegation for the majority season. The Spanish side has already beaten the likes of Manchester United and Juventus on their way to the final and have all the tools in the arsenal to reach the promised land on Wednesday evening. Roma target Champions League football After a poor end to the league season, Roma will look to add back-to-back European titles if they win the Europa League. Coach Mourinho has an impeccable record in the competition and won the Europa League with Porto (2003) and Manchester United (2017) and could become the first manager to win the competition with three different clubs. The legendary manager could add to his illustrious European trophy cabinet consisting of two Champions League trophies as well. With both teams failing to make the Champions League next season for their domestic leagues, this will be a golden opportunity for both to make the elites if they go all the way. ALSO READ | 'He should've played ODI WC 2019': Anil Kumble recalls CSK star Ambati Rayudu's shocking omission Team News Joan Jordan and Suso have overcome injuries to return to contention, both Tanguy Nianzou and Marcao remain doubts and Marcos Acuna is suspended, but Mendilibar still has plenty of options to choose from. Leonardo Spinazzola is also set to make it back in time for the final, having resumed full training at the start of the week; therefore, only Rick Karsdorp and Marash Kumbulla remain sidelined. Possible Playing XI Sevilla possible starting lineup: Bounou; Navas, Bade, Gudelj, Telles; Fernando, Rakitic; Ocampos, Torres, Gil; En-Nesyri Roma possible starting lineup: Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Zalewski, Cristante, Matic, Spinazzola; Pellegrini, El Shaarawy; Abraham WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Europa League Final: Record champions Sevilla take on Jose Mourinho's Roma for European glory

Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla recovered to reach another final as substitute Erik Lamela's fabulous header five minutes into extra time earned a gritty 2-1 win in a pulsating affair against Juventus on Thursday, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory.

The Spaniards will bid for a record-extending seventh Europa League title when they face AS Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31, after Jose Mourinho’s side drew 0-0 at Bayer Leverkusen to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory in their semi-final.

Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Sevilla in the first leg in Turin, looked on course to reach the final when substitute Dusan Vlahovic scored with a tidy finish in the 65th minute at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. But midfielder Suso levelled six minutes later with a stunning long-range strike to take the game into extra time.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-jurgen-klopp-given-two-match-touchline-ban-for-referee-rant-593813">Premier League: Jurgen Klopp given two-match touchline ban for referee rant</a>

Argentine Lamela then wrapped up the win when he leapt in a crowded area and sent a towering header into the net to delight the fans who refused to leave the stadium for ages after the match ended, celebrating with their jubilant players.

It was a cathartic night at Seville as the Europa League kings worked their magic yet again in their favourite competition after a difficult season.

Languishing in the bottom half of LaLiga for a large part of a season in which two managers were fired, Sevilla rediscovered their mojo after exiting the Champions League and beat PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce and Manchester United before downing Juve.

"This is madness, incredible, it's time to enjoy this amazing moment," Sevilla captain Jesus Navas told Movistar Plus. "The fans have been incredible and they deserve everything. We have shown the courage we have inside of us to recover after going through some rough months. 
"The courage of the fans has carried us and we are here again in another European final. It's been my team since I was a kid, living every game with so much passion. It's our turn to enjoy."

DOMINANT SEVILLA

Like in the first leg in Turin, when Sevilla were in control but allowed their rivals to equalise in added time, they dominated possession again on Thursday roared on by a raucous atmosphere at a sold-out Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was arguably the best player on the field in the first half, making several critical saves including a one-handed stop to keep out Navas' diving header from close range.

But just as the hosts were in full control and missing chances, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic scored the opener three minutes after coming off the bench.

He ran at defenders Nemanja Gudelj and Loic Bade, who hesitated for a second and allowed the Serbia international to win the challenge and beat flailing goalkeeper Bono with a cool dinked finish.

But Sevilla hit back soon after through Suso's strike that whistled into the top corner to light up the fans, who roared their team on as they put relentless pressure on Juve until Lamela scored the winner in extra time.

The only downside for Sevilla was that left back Marcos Acuna was sent off extra time for time wasting after a second yellow card and will miss the Budapest final.

Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla recovered to reach another final as substitute Erik Lamela's fabulous header five minutes into extra time earned a gritty 2-1 win in a pulsating affair against Juventus on Thursday, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla recovered to reach another final as substitute Erik Lamela's fabulous header five minutes into extra time earned a gritty 2-1 win in a pulsating affair against Juventus on Thursday, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory. The Spaniards will bid for a record-extending seventh Europa League title when they face AS Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31, after Jose Mourinho’s side drew 0-0 at Bayer Leverkusen to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory in their semi-final. Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Sevilla in the first leg in Turin, looked on course to reach the final when substitute Dusan Vlahovic scored with a tidy finish in the 65th minute at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. But midfielder Suso levelled six minutes later with a stunning long-range strike to take the game into extra time. ALSO READ: Premier League: Jurgen Klopp given two-match touchline ban for referee rant Argentine Lamela then wrapped up the win when he leapt in a crowded area and sent a towering header into the net to delight the fans who refused to leave the stadium for ages after the match ended, celebrating with their jubilant players. It was a cathartic night at Seville as the Europa League kings worked their magic yet again in their favourite competition after a difficult season. Languishing in the bottom half of LaLiga for a large part of a season in which two managers were fired, Sevilla rediscovered their mojo after exiting the Champions League and beat PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce and Manchester United before downing Juve. "This is madness, incredible, it's time to enjoy this amazing moment," Sevilla captain Jesus Navas told Movistar Plus. "The fans have been incredible and they deserve everything. We have shown the courage we have inside of us to recover after going through some rough months. "The courage of the fans has carried us and we are here again in another European final. It's been my team since I was a kid, living every game with so much passion. It's our turn to enjoy." DOMINANT SEVILLA Like in the first leg in Turin, when Sevilla were in control but allowed their rivals to equalise in added time, they dominated possession again on Thursday roared on by a raucous atmosphere at a sold-out Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was arguably the best player on the field in the first half, making several critical saves including a one-handed stop to keep out Navas' diving header from close range. But just as the hosts were in full control and missing chances, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic scored the opener three minutes after coming off the bench. He ran at defenders Nemanja Gudelj and Loic Bade, who hesitated for a second and allowed the Serbia international to win the challenge and beat flailing goalkeeper Bono with a cool dinked finish. But Sevilla hit back soon after through Suso's strike that whistled into the top corner to light up the fans, who roared their team on as they put relentless pressure on Juve until Lamela scored the winner in extra time. The only downside for Sevilla was that left back Marcos Acuna was sent off extra time for time wasting after a second yellow card and will miss the Budapest final.

Europa League semis: Sevilla beat Italian giants Juventus to setup summit clash with AS Roma

AS Roma earned a 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in their Europa League semi-final return leg on Thursday to reach the showpiece match with a 1-0 aggregate win. The Rome side have now reached back-to-back European finals under coach Jose Mourinho following last season's Europa Conference League title.

The visitors were on the backfoot for the entire game and had to survive intense pressure from the Germans, who missed a lot of chances and also hit the woodwork, as they advanced thanks to last week's 1-0 win in Italy.

They will play Sevilla in the final on May 31 in Budapest.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/europa-league-semis-sevilla-beat-italian-giants-juventus-to-setup-summit-clash-with-as-roma-593896">Europa League semis: Sevilla beat Italian giants Juventus to setup summit clash with AS Roma</a>

"This match is the result of our work, tactical wisdom, experience, knowing how to stay in matches and trying to hide our problems," said Mourinho. "These guys deserve something special. My concern was always to reach the final, it will be very hard with the experience of Sevilla but we'll think about it later".

Yet it all started well for Leverkusen, looking to reach their first European final in 21 years.

Apart from a second minute chance for Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini, the hosts had the upper hand in the first half with a dozen efforts on goal compared to their opponents' one.

Moussa Diaby rattled the crossbar with a powerful shot in the 12th minute and Kerem Demirbay's low drive in the 21st was saved by goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

The visitors tried to push up a bit higher in the second half to intercept Leverkusen's attacks earlier but the hosts kept finding ways to create chances.

Demirbay forced another good save in the 67th from Patricio, who thought he was beaten by Sardar Azmoun minutes later only for the Iranian's shot to sail just wide.

Leverkusen, whose last major title dates back to 1993, had 23 efforts on goal but it was Mourinho's Roma that went through even if they had just the one effort on goal in the entire game.

"The boys gave it all until the end," Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said. "We did everything we could, created lots of chances, had many shots on goal but just could not score."

"It was small details. We played our game, tried our best until the end and wanted to score. It is sad we did not."

AS Roma earned a 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in their Europa League semi-final return leg on Thursday to reach the showpiece match with a 1-0 aggregate win. The Rome side have now reached back-to-back European finals under coach Jose Mourinho following last season's Europa Conference League title.

AS Roma earned a 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in their Europa League semi-final return leg on Thursday to reach the showpiece match with a 1-0 aggregate win. The Rome side have now reached back-to-back European finals under coach Jose Mourinho following last season's Europa Conference League title. The visitors were on the backfoot for the entire game and had to survive intense pressure from the Germans, who missed a lot of chances and also hit the woodwork, as they advanced thanks to last week's 1-0 win in Italy. They will play Sevilla in the final on May 31 in Budapest. ALSO READ: Europa League semis: Sevilla beat Italian giants Juventus to setup summit clash with AS Roma "This match is the result of our work, tactical wisdom, experience, knowing how to stay in matches and trying to hide our problems," said Mourinho. "These guys deserve something special. My concern was always to reach the final, it will be very hard with the experience of Sevilla but we'll think about it later". Yet it all started well for Leverkusen, looking to reach their first European final in 21 years. Apart from a second minute chance for Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini, the hosts had the upper hand in the first half with a dozen efforts on goal compared to their opponents' one. Moussa Diaby rattled the crossbar with a powerful shot in the 12th minute and Kerem Demirbay's low drive in the 21st was saved by goalkeeper Rui Patricio. The visitors tried to push up a bit higher in the second half to intercept Leverkusen's attacks earlier but the hosts kept finding ways to create chances. Demirbay forced another good save in the 67th from Patricio, who thought he was beaten by Sardar Azmoun minutes later only for the Iranian's shot to sail just wide. Leverkusen, whose last major title dates back to 1993, had 23 efforts on goal but it was Mourinho's Roma that went through even if they had just the one effort on goal in the entire game. "The boys gave it all until the end," Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said. "We did everything we could, created lots of chances, had many shots on goal but just could not score." "It was small details. We played our game, tried our best until the end and wanted to score. It is sad we did not."

Jose Mourinho's AS Roma reach successive Europa League final following goalless draw against Bayer Leverkusen

Juventus and Sevilla will go head-to-head in the second leg of the Europa League on Thursday, May 18 evening as they meet at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. With the affairs at 1-1, both teams will stand an equal chance of making it to the final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 31st May. On the other hand, current Europa Conference League holders AS Roma will take on German powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen where the Italian side will come with a 1-0 advantage.

<h2>Sevilla eye another glory</h2>

If Sevilla can win the competition this year it will be their seventh title in the competition since the turn of the millennium. The incentive added for them will be the fact that they will have to win the competition to reach the Champions League next term. José Luis Mendilibar’s side has endured a poor campaign in the league but could yet make the campaign successful if they land the European glory which remains the back door to European football for them next season.

On the flip side, Juventus ‘possible 15-point suspended point dedication can yet prompt them from missing out on Europe altogether and will target the Europa League glory to reach the elites. As things stand Massimiliano Allegri’s side is third in the league and were lucky to have come up with a draw in the first leg.

<h2>Team News</h2>

Sevilla will miss the services of Suso, Joan Jordan and Marcao, who all are out due to various injury issues while they will bring back cup goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Argentine, Lucas Ocampos is also expected to be back in the fold having faced a muscle issue in the first leg. Youssef En-Nesyri should also come back in the team having had a stellar 2023 for the side.

Paul Pogba who recently returned to action last week will once again be on the casualty list after going off injured in the 24th minute over the weekend. Mattia De Sciglio and captain Leonardo Bonucci are also out of commission.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-faf-du-plessis-praises-passionate-kohli-says-playing-with-him-is-better-than-playing-against-him-593606">IPL 2023: Faf du Plessis praises passionate Kohli, says playing with him is better than being in opposite team</a>

In the other semifinal, Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen will take on Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma with both teams’ European qualification for hanging in balance in the league. Roma will carry a 1-0 lead from the first leg where Edoardo Bove scored the only goal of the contest.

<h2>Sevilla possible starting lineup:</h2>

Bounou; Navas, Gudelj, Bade, Acuna; Fernando, Rakitic; Ocampos, Lamela, Gil; En-Nesyri

<h2>Juventus possible starting lineup:</h2>

Szczesny; Danilo, Gatti, Sandro; Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Di Maria; Vlahovic

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Juventus and Sevilla will go head-to-head in the second leg of the Europa League on Thursday, May 18 evening as they meet at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. With the affairs at 1-1, both teams will stand an equal chance of making it to the final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 31st May.

Juventus and Sevilla will go head-to-head in the second leg of the Europa League on Thursday, May 18 evening as they meet at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. With the affairs at 1-1, both teams will stand an equal chance of making it to the final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 31st May. On the other hand, current Europa Conference League holders AS Roma will take on German powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen where the Italian side will come with a 1-0 advantage. Sevilla eye another glory If Sevilla can win the competition this year it will be their seventh title in the competition since the turn of the millennium. The incentive added for them will be the fact that they will have to win the competition to reach the Champions League next term. José Luis Mendilibar’s side has endured a poor campaign in the league but could yet make the campaign successful if they land the European glory which remains the back door to European football for them next season. On the flip side, Juventus ‘possible 15-point suspended point dedication can yet prompt them from missing out on Europe altogether and will target the Europa League glory to reach the elites. As things stand Massimiliano Allegri’s side is third in the league and were lucky to have come up with a draw in the first leg. Team News Sevilla will miss the services of Suso, Joan Jordan and Marcao, who all are out due to various injury issues while they will bring back cup goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Argentine, Lucas Ocampos is also expected to be back in the fold having faced a muscle issue in the first leg. Youssef En-Nesyri should also come back in the team having had a stellar 2023 for the side. Paul Pogba who recently returned to action last week will once again be on the casualty list after going off injured in the 24th minute over the weekend. Mattia De Sciglio and captain Leonardo Bonucci are also out of commission. ALSO READ | IPL 2023: Faf du Plessis praises passionate Kohli, says playing with him is better than being in opposite team In the other semifinal, Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen will take on Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma with both teams’ European qualification for hanging in balance in the league. Roma will carry a 1-0 lead from the first leg where Edoardo Bove scored the only goal of the contest. Sevilla possible starting lineup: Bounou; Navas, Gudelj, Bade, Acuna; Fernando, Rakitic; Ocampos, Lamela, Gil; En-Nesyri Juventus possible starting lineup: Szczesny; Danilo, Gatti, Sandro; Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Di Maria; Vlahovic WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Europa League: Sevilla eye final berth as Juventus stand in way; Leverkusen host Roma in other SF

Edoardo Bove fired Roma to a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in a tight first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. Bove scored the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute at the Stadio Olimpico, allowing Jose Mourinho's side to take a slender lead into next week's second leg in Germany. The win gives Mourinho the chance to reach his second European final in as many years as Roma coach after winning the Europa Conference League last season.

"It's all down to the boys tonight who played with desire and the right mentality," Mourinho said to Sky Sport. "I have put in a lot of miles over the course of my career but even I really felt the support of the fans tonight and the boys responded with the desire to make them happy."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-upbeat-stefanos-tsitsipas-eyes-maiden-french-open-crown-remains-wary-of-star-studded-peers-591506">EXCLUSIVE: Upbeat Stefanos Tsitsipas eyes maiden French Open crown, remains wary of star-studded peers</a>

Roma took the win despite having a host of players either out or barely fit to play, with stars Paulo Dybala and Georginio Wijnaldum only coming on in the final 15 minutes to help out an exhausted, largely second-string team.

"Roma were a bit more dangerous in the second half, but we had the feeling that we could beat them in their own backyard," said Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. "It's not the best result for us but it could have been worse."

- Battling Roma -

A turgid first half had little in the way of goalmouth incident, with each team having one good opportunity each. First Florian Wirtz shot a very presentable chance just wide in the seventh minute after exchanging passes with Adam Hlozek on the edge of the penalty area.

But it was Roma who were wondering how they didn't open the scoring 12 minutes later when Roger Ibanez's header from a Lorenzo Pellegrini free-kick was well-saved by Hradecky. And Tammy Abraham failed to tap in from the rebound, leaving the home fans open-mouthed at the latest blunder from their misfiring English striker.

Very little happened between then and when Roma took the lead just after the hour mark, youth product Bove causing an eruption in the stands which up to that point had looked almost impossible.

Bove started the move which led to the goal, charging forward before feeding Abraham whose spin and shot led to the ball falling to the young midfielder, who lashed in the opener.

From there Roma retreated back into their defensive shell, thinking they could hold off Leverkusen.

However, they survived a huge scare with three minutes remaining when goalkeeper Rui Patricio and Ibanez ran into one another while trying to clear Wirtz's cross.

The ball dropped for Jeremie Frimpong but the Dutch forward could only fire his shot into Bryan Cristante.

A cascade of whistles came from the stands as fans begged referee Michael Oliver to blow his whistle.

When the Englishman duly obliged, both sides were left still in the running to face either Sevilla or Juventus in the Budapest final.

Edoardo Bove fired Roma to a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in a tight first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. Bove scored the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute at the Stadio Olimpico, allowing Jose Mourinho's side to take a slender lead into next week's second leg in Germany.

Edoardo Bove fired Roma to a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in a tight first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. Bove scored the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute at the Stadio Olimpico, allowing Jose Mourinho's side to take a slender lead into next week's second leg in Germany. The win gives Mourinho the chance to reach his second European final in as many years as Roma coach after winning the Europa Conference League last season. "It's all down to the boys tonight who played with desire and the right mentality," Mourinho said to Sky Sport. "I have put in a lot of miles over the course of my career but even I really felt the support of the fans tonight and the boys responded with the desire to make them happy." ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Upbeat Stefanos Tsitsipas eyes maiden French Open crown, remains wary of star-studded peers Roma took the win despite having a host of players either out or barely fit to play, with stars Paulo Dybala and Georginio Wijnaldum only coming on in the final 15 minutes to help out an exhausted, largely second-string team. "Roma were a bit more dangerous in the second half, but we had the feeling that we could beat them in their own backyard," said Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. "It's not the best result for us but it could have been worse." - Battling Roma - A turgid first half had little in the way of goalmouth incident, with each team having one good opportunity each. First Florian Wirtz shot a very presentable chance just wide in the seventh minute after exchanging passes with Adam Hlozek on the edge of the penalty area. But it was Roma who were wondering how they didn't open the scoring 12 minutes later when Roger Ibanez's header from a Lorenzo Pellegrini free-kick was well-saved by Hradecky. And Tammy Abraham failed to tap in from the rebound, leaving the home fans open-mouthed at the latest blunder from their misfiring English striker. Very little happened between then and when Roma took the lead just after the hour mark, youth product Bove causing an eruption in the stands which up to that point had looked almost impossible. Bove started the move which led to the goal, charging forward before feeding Abraham whose spin and shot led to the ball falling to the young midfielder, who lashed in the opener. From there Roma retreated back into their defensive shell, thinking they could hold off Leverkusen. However, they survived a huge scare with three minutes remaining when goalkeeper Rui Patricio and Ibanez ran into one another while trying to clear Wirtz's cross. The ball dropped for Jeremie Frimpong but the Dutch forward could only fire his shot into Bryan Cristante. A cascade of whistles came from the stands as fans begged referee Michael Oliver to blow his whistle. When the Englishman duly obliged, both sides were left still in the running to face either Sevilla or Juventus in the Budapest final.

Europa League Semifinal: AS Roma beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in tight first leg

Stephan El Shaarawy and Lorenzo Pellegrini scored in extra time to earn hosts AS Roma a spot in the Europa League semi-finals after defeating Dutch side Feyenoord 4-1 on Thursday for a 4-2 aggregate win. El Shaarawy converted a cross from Tammy Abraham after 101 minutes and captain Pellegrini, who missed a penalty in last week's first leg, sealed the win seven minutes later when he slotted in a rebound from an Abraham shot.

Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho was full of praise for his team after reaching his second European semi-final in a row with Roma, following last season's Conference League title.

"Maybe someone thinks differently, but in my view, the team played very well in a difficult match to deal with," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I'm sure the fans would have gone home happy for the team regardless of the result. We have limits, but this team is a family."

After Feyenoord had won the quarter-final first leg 1-0, Roma pushed for the opening goal from the start, missing two great opportunities in the first 10 minutes.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/europa-league-sevilla-beat-sloppy-manchester-united-on-aggregate-to-advance-to-semis-584632">Europa League: Sevilla beat 'sloppy' Manchester United on aggregate to advance to semis</a>

The visitors became more involved in the match, with Roma keeper Rui Patricio forced to deny Sebastian Szymanski from close range. Immediately after halftime, Roma had an excellent chance when a cross found Pellegrini at the near post but his shot hit the post.

"I have to say that the emotions started before the match. You know you have to win for these people who give everything for us – and, consequently, we have to give everything for them," Pellegrini said.

On the hour mark, roars of relief erupted around the Stadio Olimpico when Leonardo Spinazzola took advantage of a deflection in the box to poke the ball into the bottom corner.

Mourinho started with key players Paulo Dybala and Abraham on the bench, after they suffered injuries early in the first leg, but he sent them on midway through the second half to chase a decider. In the 80th minute, Brazilian Igor Paixao headed in an equaliser for the visitors, unmarked inside the box from a cross by Szymanski, only for Dybala to level the aggregate score one minute before stoppage time with a shot from a tricky angle.

Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez received a straight red card in the game's final moments for a knee-high tackle on Gianluca Mancini.

"I am never angry when we don’t do well, because I know these players gave everything. Now we must rest as much as we can, prepare for Serie A and forget the Europa League for now," Mourinho said.

Roma will meet Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals on May 11 and 18 after the German side knocked out Union Saint-Gilloise 5-2 on aggregate.

Stephan El Shaarawy and Lorenzo Pellegrini scored in extra time to earn hosts AS Roma a spot in the Europa League semi-finals after defeating Dutch side Feyenoord 4-1 on Thursday for a 4-2 aggregate win.

Stephan El Shaarawy and Lorenzo Pellegrini scored in extra time to earn hosts AS Roma a spot in the Europa League semi-finals after defeating Dutch side Feyenoord 4-1 on Thursday for a 4-2 aggregate win. El Shaarawy converted a cross from Tammy Abraham after 101 minutes and captain Pellegrini, who missed a penalty in last week's first leg, sealed the win seven minutes later when he slotted in a rebound from an Abraham shot. Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho was full of praise for his team after reaching his second European semi-final in a row with Roma, following last season's Conference League title. "Maybe someone thinks differently, but in my view, the team played very well in a difficult match to deal with," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I'm sure the fans would have gone home happy for the team regardless of the result. We have limits, but this team is a family." After Feyenoord had won the quarter-final first leg 1-0, Roma pushed for the opening goal from the start, missing two great opportunities in the first 10 minutes. ALSO READ: Europa League: Sevilla beat 'sloppy' Manchester United on aggregate to advance to semis The visitors became more involved in the match, with Roma keeper Rui Patricio forced to deny Sebastian Szymanski from close range. Immediately after halftime, Roma had an excellent chance when a cross found Pellegrini at the near post but his shot hit the post. "I have to say that the emotions started before the match. You know you have to win for these people who give everything for us – and, consequently, we have to give everything for them," Pellegrini said. On the hour mark, roars of relief erupted around the Stadio Olimpico when Leonardo Spinazzola took advantage of a deflection in the box to poke the ball into the bottom corner. Mourinho started with key players Paulo Dybala and Abraham on the bench, after they suffered injuries early in the first leg, but he sent them on midway through the second half to chase a decider. In the 80th minute, Brazilian Igor Paixao headed in an equaliser for the visitors, unmarked inside the box from a cross by Szymanski, only for Dybala to level the aggregate score one minute before stoppage time with a shot from a tricky angle. Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez received a straight red card in the game's final moments for a knee-high tackle on Gianluca Mancini. "I am never angry when we don’t do well, because I know these players gave everything. Now we must rest as much as we can, prepare for Serie A and forget the Europa League for now," Mourinho said. Roma will meet Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-finals on May 11 and 18 after the German side knocked out Union Saint-Gilloise 5-2 on aggregate.

AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho praises his side for bagging Europa League semis spot after beating Feyenoord

Manchester United crashed out of the Europa League in shambolic fashion on Thursday with Sevilla beating them 3-0, to reach the semi-finals 5-2 on aggregate. The record six-time winners thoroughly outplayed Erik ten Hag's side, who repeatedly shot themselves in the foot again, having scored two own goals in the first leg.

Harry Maguire, guilty of one of those calamitous moments, endured another as he gave the ball away on the edge of his own area and Youssef En-Nesyri pounced to break the deadlock early on. Loic Bade headed home the second from a corner in the first minute of the second half, with Jose Luis Mendilibar's side meriting their advantage, which they defended adroitly.

En-Nesyri rolled home his second goal into an empty net after United goalkeeper David de Gea put the ball on a plate for him, with home fans rejoicing on an electric night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-juventus-15-point-penalty-revoked-on-appeal-jump-to-third-spot-in-serie-a-standings-584569">Football: Juventus' 15-point penalty revoked on appeal; jump to third spot in Serie A standings</a>

Sevilla will face Italian giants Juventus in the semi-finals after the Old Lady beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1 on aggregate.

Ten Hag criticised his "unacceptable" team, saying they lacked spirit compared to their opponents.

"We have to be better, it's not about playing skills, it's about character, to be composed and have desire and passion -- they had more willingness to win and it can't be, I think that's unacceptable," the coach told reporters. "Even though they are a great team and the ambience was also great, with a lot of positive energy in the stadium, we have to deal with it, we have to do better."

Ten Hag started with Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw on the bench with the duo on their way back from injury.

With the stadium rocking, Sevilla threw themselves into the game with great intensity and were swiftly rewarded by Maguire. With Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane injured, Ten Hag had no choice but to start with the Englishman at centre-back alongside Victor Lindelof. Maguire rolled the ball back to goalkeeper De Gea and called to receive it again from the Spanish goalkeeper, seemingly nonplussed about the three Sevilla players buzzing around him.

As Maguire tried to pass the ball, former Tottenham winger Erik Lamela intercepted it and En-Nesyri took charge of the situation and stroked it past De Gea at his near post.&nbsp;

United tried to fight back but created few chances of note, shorn of suspended playmaker Bruno Fernandes.

Sevilla thought they had netted a second goal when Lucas Ocampos rammed home to ignite the Pizjuan again but VAR showed a tight offside against Marcos Acuna in the build-up.

The hosts looked every bit the Europa League experts their outstanding record illustrates, rather than their domestic version, battling relegation.

Manchester United crashed out of the Europa League in shambolic fashion on Thursday with Sevilla beating them 3-0, to reach the semi-finals 5-2 on aggregate. The record six-time winners thoroughly outplayed Erik ten Hag's side, who repeatedly shot themselves in the foot again, having scored two own goals in the first leg.

Manchester United crashed out of the Europa League in shambolic fashion on Thursday with Sevilla beating them 3-0, to reach the semi-finals 5-2 on aggregate. The record six-time winners thoroughly outplayed Erik ten Hag's side, who repeatedly shot themselves in the foot again, having scored two own goals in the first leg. Harry Maguire, guilty of one of those calamitous moments, endured another as he gave the ball away on the edge of his own area and Youssef En-Nesyri pounced to break the deadlock early on. Loic Bade headed home the second from a corner in the first minute of the second half, with Jose Luis Mendilibar's side meriting their advantage, which they defended adroitly. En-Nesyri rolled home his second goal into an empty net after United goalkeeper David de Gea put the ball on a plate for him, with home fans rejoicing on an electric night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. ALSO READ: Football: Juventus' 15-point penalty revoked on appeal; jump to third spot in Serie A standings Sevilla will face Italian giants Juventus in the semi-finals after the Old Lady beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1 on aggregate. Ten Hag criticised his "unacceptable" team, saying they lacked spirit compared to their opponents. "We have to be better, it's not about playing skills, it's about character, to be composed and have desire and passion -- they had more willingness to win and it can't be, I think that's unacceptable," the coach told reporters. "Even though they are a great team and the ambience was also great, with a lot of positive energy in the stadium, we have to deal with it, we have to do better." Ten Hag started with Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw on the bench with the duo on their way back from injury. With the stadium rocking, Sevilla threw themselves into the game with great intensity and were swiftly rewarded by Maguire. With Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane injured, Ten Hag had no choice but to start with the Englishman at centre-back alongside Victor Lindelof. Maguire rolled the ball back to goalkeeper De Gea and called to receive it again from the Spanish goalkeeper, seemingly nonplussed about the three Sevilla players buzzing around him. As Maguire tried to pass the ball, former Tottenham winger Erik Lamela intercepted it and En-Nesyri took charge of the situation and stroked it past De Gea at his near post. United tried to fight back but created few chances of note, shorn of suspended playmaker Bruno Fernandes. Sevilla thought they had netted a second goal when Lucas Ocampos rammed home to ignite the Pizjuan again but VAR showed a tight offside against Marcos Acuna in the build-up. The hosts looked every bit the Europa League experts their outstanding record illustrates, rather than their domestic version, battling relegation.

Europa League: Sevilla beat 'sloppy' Manchester United on aggregate to advance to semis

Marcus Rashford has returned to training for Manchester United, giving the club a major boost ahead of the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla on Thursday. The England international, who has scored a career-high 28 goals this season, suffered a groin strain in a 2-0 win over Everton on April 8.

United said last week that Rashford would likely be absent for a "few games" but he could make a timely return in Spain, with Erik ten Hag's men in the hunt for a treble of cup competitions. The tie is finely balanced at 2-2 after two late own goals conceded by United in the first leg at Old Trafford. Luke Shaw and Marcel Sabitzer also took part in training on Wednesday to ease the Red Devils' injury crisis.

First-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are unavailable after picking up injuries in the first leg. Bruno Fernandes is suspended, while Donny van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho also remain sidelined by injury.

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United, who lifted the League Cup earlier this season to end a six-year trophy drought, face Brighton on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Marcus Rashford has returned to training for Manchester United, giving the club a major boost ahead of the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla on Thursday.

Marcus Rashford has returned to training for Manchester United, giving the club a major boost ahead of the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla on Thursday. The England international, who has scored a career-high 28 goals this season, suffered a groin strain in a 2-0 win over Everton on April 8. United said last week that Rashford would likely be absent for a "few games" but he could make a timely return in Spain, with Erik ten Hag's men in the hunt for a treble of cup competitions. The tie is finely balanced at 2-2 after two late own goals conceded by United in the first leg at Old Trafford. Luke Shaw and Marcel Sabitzer also took part in training on Wednesday to ease the Red Devils' injury crisis. First-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are unavailable after picking up injuries in the first leg. Bruno Fernandes is suspended, while Donny van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho also remain sidelined by injury. Also read: UNACCEPTABLE! Ronaldo booked for a WWE-inspired foul as Al Nassr go down to Al-Hilal in crucial tie - Watch United, who lifted the League Cup earlier this season to end a six-year trophy drought, face Brighton on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Europa League: Marcus Rashford's return to training gives Man United welcome boost ahead of Seville tie

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