Europa League draw: Liverpool get Italian job as West Ham meet Bayer Leverkusen

Liverpool face a stern Serie A test and West Ham will square off against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, while two mouth-watering match-ups in the final are now possible after Friday’s Europa League draw.

Liverpool advanced to the quarter-final stage of the Europa League with a resounding 11-2 aggregate win over Czech side Sparta Prague. The Reds are the heavy favourites to win the Europa League and their dominant display in the Last 16 will have sent shockwaves through the competition.

West Ham, meanwhile, overcame a one-goal deficit in stunning fashion when thumping Freiburg 5-0 in the second leg on home soil.

The Hammers lifted the Europa Conference League last term and hope to make it back-to-back successes in Europe under David Moyes.

Joining Liverpool and West Ham in the draw were Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan, Atalanta, Roma, Benfica and Marseille.

The draw also mapped out each club’s respective route to the final, with Liverpool and West Ham learning who could lay in wait if they overcome their quarter-final opponents.

Liverpool drew Atalanta and will get a chance to observer transfer target Teun Koopmeiners up close and personal.

West Ham will square off against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen who remarkably remain unbeaten across all competitions this season.

Quarter-final draw in full

• AC Milan vs Roma
• Liverpool vs Atalanta
• Bayer Leverkusen vs West Ham
• Benfica vs Marseille

The route to the final was also made clear, with an all-English affair between Liverpool and West Ham possible in Dublin.