Here’s a look at Wednesday’s European soccer action:
ENGLAND
Liverpool won the League Cup Sunday and continues its quest for the FA Cup. Jurgen Klopp’s team will host Norwich in the fifth round 11 days after defeating the same team in Premier League. Klopp has promised to change his lineup during a busy series of games. With one game remaining, Liverpool is currently second in the league with six points less than Manchester City. They are on track to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. After a penalty shootout win over Chelsea, Liverpool won the League Cup. Chelsea plays second-tier Luton away at the FA Cup. Southampton and West Ham will meet in an all-Premier League matchup in the 16th round.
SPAIN
Athletic Bilbao will visit Valencia in search of its third consecutive Copa del Rey final. In Bilbao, the teams were drawn 1-1 in their first leg. Valencia, now Athletic manager Marcelino Garca Toral, is trying to reach the final for the eighth time since it won the Copa title in 2019. Jose Bordalas, Valencia’s coach, hopes that Jose Luis Gaya, the defender, will be able to recover from a muscle injury. Valencia is the worst defensive team in Spain with 42 goals conceded over 26 matches. Real Betis in Sevilla will play Rayo Vallecano at Rayo Vallecano to determine the Copa semifinal. Betis won the first leg with a score of 2-1.
GERMANY
Leipzig will visit Hannover in second division to compete for a spot in the semifinals. This is in spite of being swept wide open by Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich’s early exits. Freiburg, which is now in the quarterfinals for only the eighth time, has never made it past that stage before. Bochum will be its opponent. Bochum is enjoying a surprisingly strong first season in the top league and will face Freiburg for its first cup semifinal appearance since 1988. Hamburg will play Karlsruhe to determine which team from the second division will make it to the semifinals.
ITALY
Dusan Vlahovic will be returning to Fiorentina as they meet for the first leg in their Italian Cup semifinal. This adds fuel to the already fierce rivalry between these clubs. After scoring two goals Saturday to help Empoli beat Juventus 3-2 due to injury, Vlahovic, 22, will feel confident. The record 14 wins for Juventus, the Italian Cup’s defending champion, is a testament to their dominance. Fiorentina was the winner of its last six titles in 2001. Inter Milan and AC Milan were drawn to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday in the first leg. The second-leg matches will be held on April 20th, and the final is scheduled for May 11.
FRANCE
Philippe Clement, Monaco coach, made a good start in his new role after replacing Niko Kovac. However, his form has dropped and he needs big performances from his players in the French Cup semifinal in Nantes. Nantes is one of two teams to beat Paris Saint-Germain, the league’s runaway leader. This gives them every reason to be confident under coach Antoine Kombouare. Kombouare was a stalwart defender during his playing years at the club. Monaco has won the competition five years in a row and lost to PSG last year. It has been won three times by Nantes, with its last victory in 2000.
