UEFA Europa League: Liverpool hammered by Atalanta, Roma edge past Milan

Liverpool found themselves humbled at Anfield by Atalanta as the Italian side hammered Jurgen Klopp’s men while AS Roma, Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen also gained advantages.

In their respective UEFA Europa League quarterfinal ties. The night at Anfield was particularly shocking for Liverpool fans as their team succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against Atalanta. The Italian side, led by the formidable Gianluca Scamacca, broke the deadlock in the 38th minute.

Scamacca, finding himself unmarked thanks to Davide Zappacosta’s masterful assist, unleashed a low shot that left Liverpool’s goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher with no chance. The second goal came in the 60th minute when Scamacca capitalized on Liverpool’s defensive disarray, connecting with Charles De Ketelaere’s cross to double Atalanta’s lead. The final blow was delivered by Mario Pasalic, who, in the 83rd minute, capitalised on a rebound to seal a memorable victory for the visitors.

It has been a frustrating couple of days for Liverpool as they found themselves held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United in the Premier League.

Leverkusen, Roma win

Meanwhile, in Milan, the local giants faced disappointment as AC Milan was edged out by a determined AS Roma team, with Gianluca Mancini heading home the only goal of the match in the 17th minute from Paulo Dybala’s well-placed corner. This narrow victory gave Roma a significant advantage heading into the second leg.

Over in Germany, Bayer Leverkusen managed to secure a late win against West Ham United. The game remained goalless until the 83rd minute, thanks to a series of remarkable saves from West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski. However, Leverkusen’s persistence paid off when substitute Jonas Hofmann broke the deadlock, followed by Victor Boniface, who added a second goal in stoppage time with a precise header, giving Leverkusen a 2-0 lead to take to London.

In Portugal, Benfica took a step towards the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Olympique de Marseille. Rafa Silva opened the scoring for the hosts, and Angel Di Maria later extended their lead. Marseille managed to pull one back, but Benfica held on to secure a slender advantage ahead of the return leg in France.\

The second leg will take place on April 18.