Football

Bayer Leverkusen, riding an astonishing 46-match unbeaten streak, sets its sights on revenge against Roma in the Europa League semi-finals. Last season, Roma's "Mourinhoed" tactics led to Leverkusen's agonizing penalty shootout defeat in the last four.Leverkusen's remarkable run, including a first-ever Bundesliga title, has made them favorites to reach the final in Dublin. Their ability to score late goals, with 16 in stoppage time this season, has been a key factor in their success.Roma, under the guidance of Daniele De Rossi, has had a hectic schedule in recent weeks as they aim for a third continental final in as many years. Despite their fatigue, they will be boosted by the return of Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala.Leverkusen CEO Fernando Corro expressed the team's desire for revenge and hunger to reach the final. Coach Xabi Alonso praised his team's resilience and hopes it will continue for the rest of the campaign.Roma's De Rossi acknowledged Leverkusen's unbeaten record but emphasized that they are not unbeatable. He believes his team must be perfect to overcome Leverkusen's late-game heroics.The first leg of the semi-final will take place at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday, with the second leg scheduled for next week in Leverkusen. The winner will face either Manchester United or Real Betis in the final.

Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen have extended their remarkable unbeaten streak to 44 matches across all competitions after securing a place in the Europa League semi-finals. The German giants drew 1-1 with West Ham United in the second leg of their quarter-final tie, advancing 3-1 on aggregate.Michail Antonio gave the Hammers an early lead in the 13th minute, but Leverkusen fought back in the second half. Jeremie Frimpong's 89th-minute equalizer proved crucial, sending Xabi Alonso's side through to the last four.Leverkusen will now face AS Roma for a spot in the final. The Italian giants defeated Bodø/Glimt 4-0 on aggregate in their quarter-final tie."I think we felt it in the first half," said Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka after the match. "It was a typical English crowd. They were pushing West Ham unbelievably. We were lucky in the first half if we're honest.""It was a different phase in the second half, we controlled the game. We are happy we got through. We competed much more. If you see over 180 minutes, the better team go through."Leverkusen's triumph over West Ham marks a historic achievement for the club. Last weekend, they clinched their first Bundesliga title in over a decade, ending Bayern Munich's 11-year reign.The German side is now in contention for a treble trophy haul this season. They will face second-division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on May 25.

Liverpool's hopes of a historic treble were dashed on Thursday as they were eliminated from the Europa League despite a 1-0 victory over Atalanta in the second leg of their quarterfinal matchup. The result ended Liverpool's chances of winning three trophies in manager Jurgen Klopp's final season at Anfield.In Bergamo, Liverpool had a dream start when Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross hit Matteo Ruggeri's hand, resulting in a penalty. Mohamed Salah converted the spot-kick in the seventh minute, giving Liverpool an early lead. However, the Reds failed to capitalize on any other chances, falling short of their 5-0 win over Atalanta in the Champions League in 2020.Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen remained on course for a historic treble by holding West Ham to a 1-1 draw at London Stadium. Xabi Alonso's team advanced to the semifinals 3-1 on aggregate, setting up a clash with Roma in the last four.In Rome, Roma coach Daniele De Rossi marked an extension of his contract announced earlier Thursday by reaching the last four with his team reduced to 10 men. Gianluca Mancini and Paulo Dybala scored for Roma, while Milan's Matteo Gabbia netted a consolation goal.With the English League Cup already secured, Liverpool still hopes for a second Premier League title under Klopp but is now in third and two points adrift of first-place Manchester City. Atalanta, despite its inconsistent Serie A form, has been shining in the Europa League, reaching the semifinals for only the second time.In the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa advanced to the semifinals after a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Lille. Emiliano Martínez saved two spot kicks, and Douglas Luiz converted the decisive penalty. Villa will face Olympiakos in the semifinals, while Fiorentina and Club Brugge will meet in the other semifinal.

Atalanta's historic European journey continued as they secured a place in the Europa League semifinals despite a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Thursday. The Serie A side's 3-0 triumph in the first leg at Anfield proved decisive, as they held on to a 3-1 aggregate victory.Liverpool, seeking a fairytale ending to manager Jurgen Klopp's final season, started brightly and took the lead through Mohamed Salah's penalty in the seventh minute. However, Atalanta's resolute defense and tactical discipline prevented the Reds from mounting a significant comeback.Gian Piero Gasperini's team, playing in their biggest game in club history, absorbed Liverpool's pressure and created several chances of their own. Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel both came close to extending Atalanta's lead, but their efforts were thwarted by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.In the second half, Liverpool continued to dominate possession but struggled to break down Atalanta's compact defense. The Italian side's counter-attacking threat remained potent, and they could have sealed the tie with a second goal on several occasions.As the game entered its final stages, Liverpool threw everything forward in search of an equalizer. However, Atalanta's defense held firm, and they secured a famous victory that sent them into the semifinals for the first time in their history.Meanwhile, newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen also reached the semifinals, but they were pushed to the limit by West Ham United. The German side drew 1-1 away at the London Stadium, but their 3-1 aggregate victory ensured their progression.Xabi Alonso's team trailed to Michail Antonio's early header and looked shaky in the first half. However, they improved dramatically after the break and squandered numerous opportunities before Jeremie Frimpong's deflected shot found the net in the 89th minute.Despite their below-par performance, Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 39 games and remain on course for a treble.

Liverpool's recent performances have been a stark contrast to their earlier season dominance. After being in contention for a historic quadruple, they now face the prospect of ending the season with only the League Cup. The team's struggles have coincided with their ongoing search for a successor to manager Jurgen Klopp, raising questions about whether the uncertainty is affecting their on-field performance.In the past week alone, Liverpool have suffered a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League and a disappointing 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League. These results have left them third in the league standings, behind Manchester City and Arsenal.The team's poor form has been particularly evident in their home matches. After losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford, they were held to a draw by the same opponents at Anfield. The defeat to Crystal Palace was their first home loss in the Premier League since April 2021.Klopp's impending departure at the end of the season has cast a shadow over Liverpool's campaign. The club's hierarchy has been actively searching for his replacement, but no concrete decision has been made. The uncertainty surrounding the managerial position has reportedly caused unrest within the squad, with players eager to give Klopp a fitting send-off.Liverpool's pursuit of Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim as potential successors has been met with setbacks. Alonso ruled out a move to his former club, while Amorim denied reports of an agreement with the Reds. These rejections have further fueled speculation and uncertainty within the club.Despite the challenges, Liverpool must now focus on salvaging their season. They have already secured the League Cup and will be determined to add more silverware before Klopp's departure. The team will need to rediscover their form and put aside the distractions to give their manager a memorable farewell.

Atalanta stunned Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals, dealing a major blow to the Reds' hopes of a treble in manager Jurgen Klopp's final season at Anfield.The Italian visitors took the lead in the 38th minute through Gianluca Scamacca's low drive past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Klopp responded by bringing on Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Andy Robertson in the second half, but Scamacca struck again on the hour mark, assisted by Charles De Ketelaere. Mario Pašalić sealed the victory for Atalanta with a goal seven minutes from time.The loss damages Liverpool's chances of winning the Europa League, Premier League, and FA Cup this season. The Reds have already won the English League Cup and are in a tight title race with Arsenal and Manchester City. However, their hopes of a treble now appear slim after this disappointing performance at Anfield.Atalanta, on the other hand, will be confident of reaching the semifinals after their impressive display. The Italian side has now won both of their meetings with Liverpool this season, having also triumphed 2-0 in the group stage of the Champions League in 2020.Bayer Leverkusen also boosted their chances of a treble by beating West Ham 2-0 in the other Europa League quarterfinal first leg. Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface scored late goals to give the German side a comfortable advantage heading into the second leg.In the all-Italian matchup, Gianluca Mancini scored a header to give Roma a 1-0 win over AC Milan at San Siro. The victory was Roma's first over Milan since October 2019 and ended the seven-time European champion's hopes of winning the Europa League.Benfica also took a step towards the semifinals with a 2-1 win over Marseille. Rafa Silva and Ángel Di María scored for the Portuguese side, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back for Marseille.The second-leg games will be played next week, with Atalanta hosting Liverpool, West Ham traveling to Leverkusen, Milan welcoming Roma, and Marseille visiting Benfica.

Liverpool took a commanding step towards the Europa League quarterfinals with a resounding 5-1 victory over Sparta Prague on Thursday. Darwin Nunez starred for the Reds, scoring twice to help secure a comfortable first-leg advantage.Nunez opened the scoring in the sixth minute, converting a penalty after Alexis Mac Allister was fouled in the area. The Uruguayan international doubled Liverpool's lead in the 25th minute with a stunning right-footed shot from distance.Sparta Prague pulled one back through an own goal by Conor Bradley, but Nunez restored Liverpool's three-goal advantage just before halftime. Luis Díaz extended the lead further in the second half, before Dominik Szoboszlai scored a consolation goal for the hosts in stoppage time.Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp praised his team's performance, saying, "Our goals were fantastic." He also welcomed the return of Mohamed Salah, who came on as a substitute in the 74th minute.In other Europa League action, Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run to 35 games across all competitions with a 2-2 draw at Qarabag. Roma continued their resurgence under coach Daniele De Rossi with a 4-0 thumping of Brighton, while Marseille beat 10-man Villarreal 4-0.AC Milan took control of their tie against Slavia Prague with a 3-1 victory at San Siro, while Freiburg secured a 1-0 home win over West Ham. Benfica salvaged a 2-2 draw at Rangers, while Aston Villa held Ajax 0-0 in Amsterdam.In the Europa Conference League, Lille recorded a 3-0 victory at Sturm Graz, Maccabi Tel Aviv won 4-1 at Olympiacos, and Molde beat Club Brugge 2-1. Fiorentina secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over Maccabi Haifa, while Fenerbahce won 3-0 at Union Saint-Gilloise.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is cautiously optimistic about Mohamed Salah's return to action against Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday. The Egyptian star has been sidelined for the past four games due to muscle fatigue.Salah joined his Liverpool teammates on Wednesday's flight to Prague after missing the previous four games due to muscle fatigue. The 31-year-old has played just 46 minutes for Liverpool since leaving the Africa Cup of Nations early when he sustained a hamstring injury in a group-stage game against Ghana in January.Salah's substitute appearance came against Brentford on February 17, the forward scoring at the Gtech Community Stadium before subsequently being sidelined with the muscle issue. He trained with the rest of the Liverpool squad on Wednesday and could feature in the last 16 first-leg meeting with Sparta.Salah's availability is significant for Klopp ahead of Sunday's seismic showdown with Manchester City in the Premier League. Second-placed City will arrive at Anfield one point behind leaders Liverpool in a tense title race."It is so good that he (Salah) is back," Klopp told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday. "Two days in team training: in a different situation players are not in the squad in this moment but now the situation makes sense."The German added: "We want to be careful, we have to be careful but we're in the middle of a super-intense period of the season and we need everyone. So let's see how long we can use him and these kinds of things."Quadruple-chasing Liverpool won the League Cup final against Chelsea without Salah, and also beat Luton, Southampton, and Nottingham Forest in his absence. But having Salah back is a huge boost for Liverpool heading into the decisive final weeks of Klopp's last season in charge.The Egyptian has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season, including 15 in 21 league games. Klopp has taken his strongest available squad to Prague, with Darwin Nunez and Wataru Endo in contention to start after coming on as substitutes in last weekend's win at Forest.

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has extended its exclusive broadcast and digital rights for UEFA club football competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup, and Youth League. The renewal covers the 2024/25 to 2026/27 seasons, granting SPNI access to over 1600 matches across its channels and OTT platform, SonyLIV.The UEFA Champions League will undergo a format change in 2024/25, with four additional clubs participating in a new league phase. This will increase the number of competing clubs to 36, ranked together in a single league format. The change aims to provide more opportunities for top teams to compete and enhance the excitement of the tournament.Additionally, UEFA's premier club competitions will no longer have a break in January, ensuring non-stop European club football from August to May. SPNI will continue to telecast select UEFA Champions League matches in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, recognizing the growing popularity of regional language coverage.SPNI has been the home of UEFA Champions League since 2017 and will continue to broadcast the final at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The network also holds the rights to UEFA EURO 2024, Bundesliga, Emirates FA Cup, and Roshn Saudi Pro League.The renewal of SPNI's UEFA rights ensures that Indian audiences will continue to enjoy the highest level of European club football, featuring top teams and players like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland.