Champions League and Europa League draws: football news and reaction – live | Football

If you’re looking for more draw-based content, I can heartily recommend this story on the Europa League draw:

West Ham have an extremely tough draw but Michail Antonio will be happy with it, given they will be at home in the second leg of their quarter-final against Bayer Leverkusen and, if successful, again in their semi-final against Milan or Roma. This is what he’s had to say about his side’s Europa League chances:

You always want the second leg at home so we can bring it back to our fans. It doesn’t matter if we feel we’re down, doesn’t matter if we’re losing. We believe when we come back here we can win the game. We have that confidence.

One thing with us in Europe, we definitely know how to play, we definitely know how to go far. So hopefully we can do what we did last year. We always think about winning it. Whenever we get into Europe we believe and we have got the confidence to win it.

There’s some big names out there obviously, but one thing we know how to do is win games in Europe. We got the final last year and won it, the year before we got to the semis and felt like we should have done better. So hopefully this year we can do it again.

Good news for Premier League clubs with European ambitions: it’s probably going to be even easier to qualify for continental competition next year. Indeed, it’s getting increasingly hard to avoid. Essentially, if Arsenal or West Ham win their quarter-finals, against German opposition, an extra Champions League spot should be a done deal. Paul MacInnes reports:

English clubs are set to clinch a fifth Champions League spot next season, with Uefa analysis suggesting a 90% chance that the Premier League takes an extra place ahead of the Bundesliga.

An expanded Champions League format from 2024 means two places are to be given to sides from countries who have performed the best in Europe over the previous season. Uefa’s coefficient table has Italy top, with Germany narrowly ahead of England in second place. But West Ham’s emphatic victory over Freiburg may well prove decisive in tipping the scales in England’s favour.

Before the quarter-final stages of Uefa’s three club tournaments, England is the equivalent of a single draw behind Germany in the coefficient table, calculated according to points awarded for performance and divided by the number of sides who started the season in competition. England began with eight teams and Germany seven, but after West Ham’s passage at Freiburg’s expense, Germany have three teams in quarter-finals while England have five.

Much more here:

Here are both of the European draws, to save you a little scrolling:

Champions League quarter-finals

Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona

Europa League quarter-finals

Milan v Roma
Liverpool v Atalanta
Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham
Benfica v Marseille

And for what it’s worth, whoever wins the first of those semi-finals will be treated as the home team in the final in Dublin.

And so to the semi-finals. The draw has been completed and this is it:

Benfica or Marseille v Liverpool or Atalanta
Milan or Roma v Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham

Europa League quarter-final draw in full

It’s Bayer Leverkusen against West Ham United, which means Benfica will face Marseille. But who’s at home first?

Liverpool, the team nobody wanted to draw, will be at home in their first leg against Atalanta!

The first Europa League quarter-final sees Milan play Roma in an all-Italian clash!

I interrupt this blog of cup draws with news of a cup draw. The FA Cup semi-final draw will be this Sunday after the game between Manchester United and Liverpool, and will be broadcast live on ITV1, and on FA Cup social media channels. Ian Wright will pluck balls, which will be numbered as follows:

1 Wolverhampton Wanderers or Coventry City
2 Manchester United or Liverpool
3 Chelsea or Leicester City
4 Manchester City or Newcastle United

“The magic of the Europa League was on full display in the round of 16,” we’re told. Nobody talks about the magic of the Europa League. It’s not a thing. But sure, some football was played.

Anyway, Fernando Llorente is going to be the ball-plucker for this one.

The action has started in Nyon, with a video presentation of the eight remaining sides. I have to say, draws these days have a distressing lack of amateurishness and general chaos to them.

And here’s how the quarter-final draw will happen:

• At this stage of the competition, no teams are seeded and there is no country protection.

• Eight balls containing the names of the quarter-finalists are placed in the large central bowl and shuffled.

• The first and second balls drawn determine the first quarter-final pairing, with the first ball drawn representing the home team for the first leg.

• The procedure is repeated with the remaining balls to complete the quarter-final pairings.

It will be followed by the semi-final draw. This is all the same as for the Champions League draw we’ve just enjoyed.

• At this stage of the competition, no teams are seeded and there is no country protection.

• Four balls containing slips of paper marked ‘Winners of quarter-final 1’ to ‘Winners of quarter-final 4’ are placed in a large central bowl and shuffled.

• The first and second balls drawn determine the first semi-final pairing, with the first ball drawn representing the home team for the first leg.

• The procedure is repeated with the remaining balls in the bowl to complete the semi-final pairings.

We’re just a few minutes away from the Europa League draw. Here once again are the teams involved:

Atalanta
Benfica
Leverkusen
Liverpool
Marseille
Milan
Roma
West Ham

Here’s some news of Everton’s takeover. Strictly speaking the news is that there’s no news but there should be news soon.

A decision from the Premier League board on whether to accept 777 Partners’ prospective takeover of Everton is set to be made next week.

Meetings between 777 and the Premier League took place last week, resulting in final questions being put to the prospective Everton owner, which provided its response. Further meetings were held at the start of this week before the matter was sent to the Premier League board to make the final decision. Everton’s financial future could be in jeopardy if the proposed takeover is not approved.

A deal was agreed for the American company to buy the club from Farhad Moshiri in September but the league’s investigation has taken longer than anticipated. One issue has been the complex nature of 777 Partners’ business interests, which has made the league’s due diligence process longer than usual as it investigates the company. The Financial Conduct Authority has given its approval for the deal and the Football Association also passed it.

More here:

If you’re starting to think about booking travel for the Champions League quarter-finals, you’re too late.

Ben Fisher has interviewed Coventry’s Callum O’Hare ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final at Wolves:

When Callum O’Hare stepped up his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury last August, Coventry’s physios recognised the need to temper his enthusiasm. After eight monotonous months, he was inevitably excited to tie the laces on his boots and hit the grass. He felt “fresh out of the jailhouse” after countless days spent watching teammates train from an exercise bike in the gym, but was told to expect a fine if he began kicking the balls too soon upon his return.

“The staff know how much I love football,” he says. “If there’s a ball in front of me, I’ll always play with it, no matter what it is: a tennis ball, a little floater – anything. Or I’ll make socks into a ball. They were like: ‘You’re not quite at the stage to be kicking balls.’ My first jog around the pitch, one of the players tried to pass me the ball and I just had to leave it. It was heartbreaking. ‘Sorry, I can’t.’”

Much more here:

Here’s PA Media’s take on the draw:

Manchester City face a Champions League quarter-final blockbuster against 14-time European champions Real Madrid.

The teams have met at the semi-final stage in the last two seasons, with City hammering Real 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium last season on their way to winning their first Champions League title.

Arsenal have been drawn against six-time European champions Bayern Munich, whose star striker Harry Kane is the former talisman of their bitter north London rivals Tottenham. The Gunners have lost each of their last three meetings with Bayern 5-1, so will be hoping for much better this time around.

City and Arsenal will meet in the semi-finals if they can negotiate their tricky quarter-final ties. Paris St Germain and Barcelona will go head to head, as will Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

The quarter-final first legs will be played on April 9 and 10, with the second legs the following week. The semi-finals take place on April 30 and May 1, with the return legs on May 7 and 8. Wembley will host the final on Saturday, June 1.

And here’s Bayern Munich’s:

Champions League semi-final draw in full

Now for the semi-final draw, and we already know there can only be one English finalist! That’s because the first semi sees Atlético Madrid or Borussia Dortmund face Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona.

Champions League quarter-final draw in full

It’s Real Madrid v Manchester City! Which means that Barcelona will play PSG in the final tie.

It’s Atlético Madrid v Borussia Dortmund! The last two fixtures are going to be corkers.

The next team out of the bowl is Atlético Madrid, so they’ll also be at home in the first leg.

Arsenal will play Bayern Munich, with the first leg at home.

The first team out of the hat (plastic bowl) is Arsenal.

The Champions League draw is about to happen. It’s a completely open draw, with no seedings or other fripperies, which means it will be disappointingly brief and completely devoid of moments of bafflement and confusion, which is a shame.

The mythic Wembley Stadium is looking forward to welcoming the two most successful sides, apparently. I think you’ll find it’s an inanimate object incapable of feeling complex emotions, chaps. Anyway, John Obi Mikel has just been introduced and will assist with the draw.

The action has started in Nyon, with a lengthy video presentation of the remaining Champions League teams.

Before the draw, I’ve got an England Under-21 squad for you. Here’s the PA Media report:

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, versatile Leeds player Archie Gray and Luton centre-back Teden Mengi are among six players called up to the England Under-21 squad for the first time for the Euro 2025 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg.

Head coach Lee Carsley has named a 24-man squad, with Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers all handed maiden call-ups.

Mainoo, 18, has been involved for United in the Premier League as well as Champions League and FA Cup this season, scoring two goals. Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and Chelsea forward Cole Palmer were both selected in Gareth Southgate’s senior squad for March’s Wembley friendlies against Belgium and Brazil.

Among those to miss out from the last Under-21s squad because of injury are Liam Delap, on loan at Hull from Manchester City, and Norwich winger Jonathan Rowe. England are three points behind Ukraine in Group F and will travel to Azerbaijan for their next qualifying fixture on March 22 before then hosting Luxembourg in Bolton on March 26.

England Under-21 squad to play Azerbaijan and Luxembourg: Matthew Cox (Bristol Rovers, on loan from Brentford), Sam Tickle (Wigan), James Trafford (Burnley); Charlie Cresswell (Leeds), Callum Doyle (Leicester, on loan from Manchester City), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton, on loan from Manchester City), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Teden Mengi (Luton), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Millwall, on loan from Arsenal), Nathan Wood (Swansea); Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea), Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), James McAtee (Sheffield United, on loan from Manchester City), Tyler Morton (Hull, on loan from Liverpool), Archie Gray (Leeds), Alex Scott (Bournemouth); Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Borussia Dortmund), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham, on loan from Fulham), Samuel Iling-Junior (Juventus), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Jaden Philogene (Hull), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa).

Crikey, that’s quite the build-up. Uefa draws are imminent. I do enjoy a good draw – though of course this could be a disappointing one, time will tell. Personally I’d be up for a four-hour draw, and I’m disappointed that Uefa won’t let me have one. It would be like football’s equivalent of Test cricket.

Right, I’ve been Dave Tindall and that’s my warm-up stint done. Please return to your seats and give a big hand for today’s headline act … Mr Simon Burnton.

How the bookies see it. Latest odds here. Should Arsenal really be second favourites?

Champions League: 13/8 Man City, 4/1 Arsenal, 9/2 Real Madrid, 6/1 Bayern Munich, 11/1 PSG, 14/1 Barcelona, 18/1 Atletico Madrid, 25/1 Borussia Dortmund.

Europa League: 11/10 Liverpool, 10/3 Bayer Leverkusen, 6/1 AC Milan, 11/1 Roma, West Ham, 12/1 Atalanta, 18/1 Benfica, Marseille.

Obviously, these could all change significantly after the draws are made.

Here’s how Liverpool and West Ham eased into the quarter-finals of the Europa League last night. And also how Rangers didn’t.

Oh, and let’s not forget how Villa walloped Jordan Henderson’s Ajax in that thingy West Ham won last season.

Back to domestic matters and here’s what you should have your beady eyes on over the next couple of days.

Beady Eye – whatever happened to them? Anyway, here’s the lead singer dedicating a song to Jack Grealish in Birmingham last night.

Europa League draw:

And coming up at midday, the ‘everyone wants to avoid Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen’ draw. Klopp v Alonso is surely best saved for the final but it could happen in the last eight. Here’s who’s left: three from Italy, two from England and one each from Portugal, Germany and France.

Atalanta
Benfica
Leverkusen
Liverpool
Marseille
Milan
Roma
West Ham

Champions League draw:

These are the eight teams still battling for glory. And, yep, it’s an open draw. No country protection means we could have Arsenal v Man City, Real Madrid v Barcelona and Bayern v Dortmund in the last eight. Imagine that! We’ll also get the semi-final match-ups drawn out too.

Arsenal
Atlético Madrid
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid

Preamble