Liverpool out of Europa League as Leverkusen advance
Liverpool crashed out of the Europa League after a 1-0 win against Atalanta that wasn't enough to overturn their quarter-final deficit, while Bayer Leverkusen's 1-1 draw at West Ham took the German champions into the last four on Thursday. In Jurgen Klopp's last season as Liverpool boss, the Reds were hoping to give the German a memorable farewell in the final in Dublin. But Liverpool had suffered a stunning 3-0 loss in the first leg against Atalanta at Anfield last week. And although Liverpool have authored some of European football's greatest comebacks down the years against the likes of St Etienne, AC Milan and Barcelona, there would be no miracle escape this time. Mohamed Salah converted a seventh minute penalty in the second leg in Bergamo after Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross hit Matteo Ruggeri's arm. However, Klopp's men couldn't breach the stubborn Atalanta defence again. Bidding to reach their maiden European final, Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta will face Marseille in their first European semi-final since the 1988 Cup Winners' Cup. Fresh from clinching their first Bundesliga title last weekend, Leverkusen survived a scare from West Ham before advancing 3-1 on aggregate. In the semi-finals, Xabi Alonso's side will play Roma, who saw off Italian rivals AC Milan 3-1 on aggregate. Leverkusen won the first leg 2-0 but West Ham made the perfect start in east London when Michail Antonio met Jarrod Bowen's pin-point cross with a close-range header in the 13th minute. West Ham eventually ran out of steam and Jeremie Frimpong struck in the 89th minute with a shot that deflected in off Aaron Cresswell. (AFP)