Liverpool will face Villarreal in the semifinals of the Europa League, while holders Sevilla have been drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool booked their place in the final four in dramatic fashion on Thursday evening, Dejan Lovren's injury-time goal securing a 5-4 aggregate win over the manager's former team, Borussia Dortmund.

Liverpool will travel to the Estadio El Madrigal to face the Yellow Submarine on April 28, with the return leg at Anfield seven days later.

The Premier League club have won the competition on three occasions during its incarnation as the UEFA Cup, in 1972-73, 1975-76 and 2000-01.

Villarreal have never before been beyond the semifinals, reaching the stage in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup and the 2010-11 Europa League.

They are fourth in La Liga this season, 12 points behind Real Madrid and eight clear of Celta Vigo in fifth. They seem certain for a return to the Champions League next season no matter what happens in the Europa League.

That is not the case for Liverpool, who find themselves eighth in the Premier League and will need to win the competition to return to Europe's top table after a 12-month absence.

Sevilla are going for a third successive Europa League title, and a fifth triumph in 11 seasons having also lifted the UEFA Cup in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Coach Unai Emery masterminded victories over Benfica in 2013-14 and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2014-15 to take the trophy.

They will meet Ukrainian side Shakhtar in the semis, who like Sevilla dropped down from the Champions League as third-placed teams in the group stage. They won the UEFA Cup themselves in 2008-09.

The winners of the Europa League will qualify for the playoff round of the Champions League, though would be promoted direct to the group stage if the UCL winners qualify for that stage via their domestic league.

The final is at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland on Wednesday, May 18.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by ESPN staff

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