Liverpool wants to garnish coach Jürgen Klopp’s approaching farewell with one or two titles. In addition to the English championship, the chances of triumphing in the second highest European Cup competition are not bad. “We will do everything we can to make this happen. We want to give everything back to the coach, he has had a big influence on our careers,” said midfielder Harvey Elliott.
Anything other than a “Reds” home win at Anfield Road would be a surprise, especially since Atalanta have lost their last two competitive games. But Klopp doesn’t see it as a sure-fire success. “It is difficult to play against Italian teams. It always was. They are tactically very disciplined, we have to give our best to get into the next round.” Liverpool had beaten LASK twice in the group stage (3:1 and 4:0), while Atalanta had Sturm Graz as their opponents and had a second place :2 and a 1-0 result.
Leverkusen is not yet thinking about winning the championship
The fabulous season of the undefeated Leverkusen team should not come to a halt against West Ham. Coach Xabi Alonso rejected the fact that Bayer is already thinking about possibly winning the German championship on Sunday. “We currently only have eyes for West Ham and the Europa League.” The Spaniard warned against the reigning Conference League champions. “They have top quality, experience and are physically very good. We have to play with patience, at a high tempo and try to control the game.”
Reuters/Thilo Schmuelgen Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso is warned about West Ham
While the titles in the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup (in the final favorite against the second division team 1. FC Kaiserslautern) are already within reach, the Bayer team also wants to spread international glory. “We are not unbeatable, but if we continue like this and do our daily work as down-to-earth as before, anything is possible,” said midfielder Granit Xhaka. At least Bayer has not yet proven the former in 41 games this season.
Milan slight favorites against Roma
Meanwhile, there is a Serie A meeting between AC and AS in Milan. The “Rossoneri”, who are second in the league, have won the previous two duels of the season with the Romans 2:1 and 3:1. The 1:3 in mid-January was Jose Mourinho’s last match as Roma coach; he was replaced by club veteran Daniele De Rossi. “He has a different way of playing. It’s no longer Mourinho’s Roma,” said Milan coach Stefano Pioli. “It will be a 180-minute challenge.”
Security concerns in Lisbon
The game between Benfica – Salzburg’s Champions League opponents this season – and Marseille has a lot of explosive potential. The duel triggered major security concerns in advance. The French authorities banned Portuguese fans from attending the second leg last week. On Tuesday, Benfica canceled tickets for the first leg purchased by Marseille supporters due to an official warning about public safety.
The southern French games were repeatedly overshadowed by riots. Olympique Lyon coach Fabio Grosso suffered a serious eye injury when the team bus was attacked by Marseille fans in October.
