Last night, the first leg of the Europa League knockout round was in full swing, with the likes of AC Milan, Roma and Liverpool showing their strength and winning big games. However, Portuguese Super League giants Benfica were unexpectedly upset, drawing 2-2 at home to Glasgow Rangers, and the prospects of promotion are worrying.
AC Milan hosted Slavia Prague and the visitors were shown a red card shortly after the game, and the situation spiraled out of control. Olivier Giroud headed home from Leao's pass to give AC Milan the lead. The two sides then battled out goals, and in the end, AC Milan won 4-2, holding a two-goal advantage in the first leg and a place in the quarter-finals.
Roma also enjoyed a big win at home, with Dybala opening the scoring with a solo goal, followed by the likes of Cristante and Romelu Lukaku as Roma thrashed Brighton 4-0. With De Rossi succeeding Jose Mourinho, Roma have performed well in both Serie A and Europa League, and are now locked in the quarter-finals, with a four-place finish in Serie A and a Europa League title on hold.
Liverpool also showed strong dominance on the road, beating Sparta Prague 5-1. Nunez's brace was the main contributor to the team's victory. It is worth mentioning that Salah came off the bench before the end of the game and made a smooth comeback. The return of the Egyptian superstar has undoubtedly given Jurgen Klopp more confidence, and if Liverpool can beat Manchester City at home, the gap between the two sides will widen to four points.
In contrast, Benfica's performance has been disappointing. They drew 2-2 at home to Rangers and have not been satisfactory in either the Champions League or the Europa League this season. Selling too many players has cost Benfica and could miss out on the quarter-finals if they lose in the second leg.