The first legs in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League last-16 ties have been played, with sides like Liverpool, Roma and AC Milan taking big leads into next week’s return fixtures.
The Reds made a dominant start to their two-legged match-up with Sparta Prague, powering their way to a 5-1 victory in Czechia, but the fortunes of other Premier League sides weren’t so favourable. Brighton were well beaten in Rome and are now facing all-but certain elimination, while West Ham have a smaller margin to overturn after a controversial 1-0 defeat at Freiburg.
While there’s still plenty of work for some clubs to do to reach the quarter-finals, others are already lining up their potential opponents in the last eight.
Here’s when the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League quarter-final draw will take place and how to follow it live.
The 2023/24 UEFA Europa League quarter-final draw will take place on Friday 15 March at 12:00 GMT, straight after the draw for the Champions League’s equivalent stage, at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
The semi-final draw will also be held, meaning teams will learn their potential path to the final. There are no restrictions for which teams can face each other, meaning clubs from the same association could be paired up in the last eight.
How to watch the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League quarter-final draw
The 2023/24 UEFA Europa League quarter-final draw will be available to watch on UEFA’s official website.
Last 16 fixtures and results
Liverpool’s huge win over Sparta Prague means Jurgen Klopp may be able to rest some of his available stars for the return leg at Anfield next week. Darwin Nunez scored twice while Harvey Elliott registered three assists, with Mohamed Salah making his return from injury as a 74th-minute substitute.
Touted Klopp replacement Xabi Alonso nearly saw his Bayer Leverkusen side slip to their first defeat all season at Qarabag, but two second-half strikes – including one in injury time from Patrik Schick – saved a draw in Azerbaijan.
Brighton suffered major stage fright in their first ever knockout game in Europe in their visit to the Stadio Olimpico. Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku both netted in a 4-0 thrashing, leaving the Seagulls in need of a minor miracle at the AMEX.
West Ham were downed 1-0 by Freiburg, being denied a last-minute penalty for handball after a long VAR check, but last season’s Conference League winners hit the woodwork and could turn the tie around back in east London.
|
Date / Kick-off Time (GMT) |
Fixture |
|---|---|
|
06/03/24 – 17:45 |
Sporting CP 1-1 Atalanta |
|
07/03/24 – 17:45 |
Qarabag 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen |
|
07/03/24 – 17:45 |
Roma 4-0 Brighton |
|
07/03/24 – 17:45 |
Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool |
|
07/03/24 – 20:00 |
AC Milan 4-2 Slavia Prague |
|
07/03/24 – 20:00 |
Benfica 2-2 Rangers |
|
07/03/24 – 20:00 |
Marseille 4-0 Villarreal |
|
07/03/24 – 20:00 |
Freiburg 1-0 West Ham |
|
14/03/24 – 17:45 |
Rangers v Benfica |
|
14/03/24 – 17:45 |
Slavia Prague v AC Milan |
|
14/03/24 – 17:45 |
Villarreal v Marseille |
|
14/03/24 – 17:45 |
West Ham v Freiburg |
|
14/03/24 – 20:00 |
Atalanta v Sporting CP |
|
14/03/24 – 20:00 |
Bayer Leverkusen v Qarabag |
|
14/03/24 – 20:00 |
Brighton v Roma |
|
14/03/24 – 20:00 |
Liverpool v Sparta Prague |
The 2023/24 UEFA Europa League quarter-final first legs are scheduled for Thursday 11 April, with the return games then kicking off a week later on Thursday 18 April.
The semi-finals will then be played on Thursday 2 May and Thursday 9 May before the final – to be played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin – on Wednesday 22 May.
