The quarter-final of the Europa League gets underway on Thursday and there’s great excitement from football fans all across the world because of the teams that are left in the tournament.
Is this the strongest last eight in Europa League history?
It’s unusual for the Europa League to have teams in the tournament that could challenge in the latter stages of the Champions League.
The likes of Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen have impressed with their performances this season, and if they had qualified for the Champions League last season, there’s no doubt that they’d still be in the competition.
AC Milan are embedded into European football royalty and they’ve won the most Champions League titles. out of the last eight, with seven in total.
Everyone is anticipating a Liverpool v Bayer Leverkusen final in Dublin and it’s only right that these two should go toe-to-toe in what would be a grandstand finale to the Europa League.
West Ham is the only other Premier League team left in the competition and they have a huge task in trying to stop Bayer Leverkusen from reaching the semi-final.
David Moyes’ side may not be favourites for the trophy but they’re doing everything in their power to make sure they’re in the tournament again for next season. The Hammers currently occupy 7th place in the league table.
Three teams also remain from Serie A (AC Milan, Roma, Atalanta) and they’re all mid table except from AC Milan who are second but are 14 points off rivals Inter Milan.
Marseille are the only team from Ligue 1 that remains but they shouldn’t be an issue for Benfica as they’re still fighting Sporting Lisbon for the Portuguese league title.
Squad values
It’s no surprise that Liverpool possess the most valuable squad but how do others compare to the Europa League favourites?
Xabi Alonso has transformed Bayer Leverkusen from a relegation threatening side to a team that’s one win away from winning the Bundesliga. This season their squad value has just tipped the half-a-billion mark.
AC Milan were once the best team in the world but their form just keeps plummeting and so does their squad value.
West Ham will be glad to know that they’re not bottom and will perhaps be flattered that the squad value sits near Italian giants Roma.
Full squad value list:
Liverpool squad value: £910m
Bayer Leverkusen: £508m
AC Milan: £461m
Benfica: £325m
Atalanta: £298m
Roma: £279m
West Ham: £259m
Marseille: £197m
European records
Liverpool are the most successful English club in European competition with six Champions Leagues and three European trophies.
AC Milan have won one more Champions League trophy than Liverpool but they’ve never won the Europa League.
Milan’s opponents, Roma, are yet to lift the Europa League or Champions League, despite playing in the Europa League final last year but were beaten by record holders Sevilla.
In 2022, they became the first winners of the Europa Conference League beating Feyenoord 1-0.
West Ham were last year’s Conference League winners in a tense 2-1 win over Fiorentina. Can the Hammers do one better this year and go all the way?
Shockingly, Atalanta have only ever won one major trophy and that was the Coppa Italia back in 1963.
Marseille remain the only French team to win the Champions League and that was back in 1993. They’ve never won the Europa League.
Benfica are another side to have yet to win the competition.
Finally, Bayer Leverkusen just have the one Europa League win and that was back in 1988.
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