Atalanta win 3-0 at Liverpool & West Ham lose at Leverkusen

Aston Villa captain John McGinn: "It was quite up and down, and the stadium felt quite flat at the end. It's important to recognise it's a victory against a very good team.

"Lille played really well tonight and I think they showed us how tough it's going to be next week. But we're in the quarter-finals and while we'd have preferred it to be 2-0, a win's a win.

"The manager was very frustrated about what happened at the weekend, letting Brentford back into the game. They're a very good side but we allowed them back in, we relaxed a bit and that's just not acceptable when you're chasing what we're chasing. We've got a lot of improving to do."

Bayer Leverkusen's 33 shots is the joint-most by a side in a Europa League game this season, level with themselves against Qarabag in March.

They broke the deadlock with the 26th.

West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi made nine saves tonight. He has never made more in a game for the Hammers.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery speaking to TNT Sports: "Difficult match, very tough match. A tight result and a tight match. We created chances, we conceded some chances. We took advantage today and we knew before the match it was going to be difficult.

"Now again we have to be ready there to play 90 minutes and even extra-time and penalty shootout even because we know now every match that we are playing is difficult.

"It's very important to try to control set pieces in games offensively and defensively. We have to try to be stronger in our structure because they [Lille] were sometimes threatening us more than we wanted.

"It's a good result because we won today. We know it is going to be difficult there but we have to try to get again our position on the pitch, understanding how we play today."

Lille's Gabriel Gudmundsson: "Aston Villa are a good side so it was hard out there, like we expected. We competed well and the goal at the end was crucial, to be honest - it gets us right back into the tie."

SMS Message: Not been a great week for England’s hopes of the extra CL place. Only Villa won and even that was slender and in the battle of Germany vs England Germany are ahead thanks to Leverkusen. from Paul

Not been a great week for England’s hopes of the extra CL place. Only Villa won and even that was slender and in the battle of Germany vs England Germany are ahead thanks to Leverkusen.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins speaking to TNT Sports: "Going into each game I feel confident. I have a belief that I'm going to score and the team are going to play well. We have a game plan and we stick to it no matter what. It was important that we won the game and then go into the second leg a goal up. It feels like a lot of hard work has been put in."

On not scoring more goals: "Little bit disappointing to have conceded at the end, gives them [Lille] a little bit of belief going into the second leg. We could have been a bit more clinical in the final third. We've had a lot of opportunities and 2-1 is a bit disappointing, I think it should have been three or four."

On the support from the fans: "It's nice to hear your name being sung by the fans. I just try to repay them by scoring goals but when I'm not doing that I'm always working hard. That's the number one thing when I go on the pitch to make sure nobody can question my mentality and my work rate and then the goals will come so just enjoy."

Atalanta had a very clear idea and they just didn't let Liverpool breathe.

The bad defending from Liverpool allowed for a lot of counter-attacking opportunities and Atalanta took advantage.

It is clear that Klopp needs to play his first XI in every game and not experiment, because there are some players who are not in form.

West Ham boss David Moyes to TNT Sports: "Leverkusen have a good record of scoring late. We were aware of that.

"They did a great job but we played against a Champions League side and we're not quite at that level.

"We're still in the tie and we have half a chance in the second leg.

"We'd like to have played more attacking. The players did a brilliant job with the structure. We got done by two corner-kicks. The second one was really poor from our point of view.

"It's going to take some performance because thye're a really good team. You never know what's going to happen. Let's try to get one and then see if we can get two. We'll pick ourselves up for next week and hopefully get the crowd behind us.

"This team we're playing will be Champions League next year. We have to recognise what we're playing against. We'll have to do exceptionally well to get that result."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp speaking to TNT Sports: "Yeah unfortunately there is nothing really positive to say about the game. The start was good. Darwin Nunez had a good moment but from that moment on it became a really bad game and there is nothing positive to say.

"I didn't like our tactical positioning in possession. We gave them one situation by passing the ball there, then everyone was chasing another guy. We scored one that was offside but it was a bad game from us. Atalanta had a good game, scored three goals and deserved to win.

"I will watch this game on Monday. I know already that if we do a couple of things better, we will be better. Can we win it back? Yes, if we play good it is possible. Can we win 3-0? I have no idea. But this feels really bad and that's important. That was a bad performance and that's how it is. That's how we lost. It feels always in this moment that they are through but until we play, they are not.

"We haven't had that that often so we have to show a reaction immediately on Sunday. In this moment it must feel bad. The lads must go home and sleep badly. But we must prepare for Crystal Palace.

"A lot of performances tonight were really 'oops, wow, I didn't know they could play like that.' A lot of the players looked really alone in a lot of moments. It was really bad. We had our biggest chances in the end and didn't use them.

"I know the boys can play better football but they didn't do it tonight and we have to show a reaction on Sunday. I'm pretty sure they will do that."

As much as you want to put this game to bed, you have got to go there next week and try and win the game 4-0 now. That is a big, big ask for any team to do. If it had been the other way round and it had been at Atalanta, you'd back them to overturn it at Anfield.

I find it very difficult to see them overturning this now. I know anything can happen in football, but Liverpool were way off it.

Mike: All that pressure from Leverkusen proved too much in the end . Left us with a mountain to climb in the second leg.

Jay: I have been a huge supporter of Moyes, and still am but I can see why our fans get frustrated. Setting up so defensively with no engine (Alvarez) and limited outlet (no Bowen) was only going to end one way. Bus parkers never prosper.

West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to TNT Sports: "Very disappointed. We worked hard for 80 minutes and then we gave two goals away from set-pieces. Usually defending set-pieces is our strength but you have to give a lot of credit to the opposition because they pushed the whole game.

"The more disappointing thing is that we conceded the second goal. It gives them a bit more confidence. We won't give up. We have to believe and respond in the second leg.

"I wouldn't say we ran out of energy. Both teams did their best. In the end the second set-piece felt too easy. It felt like the striker had too much space.

"We have to [believe]. We have a really good record at home. We responded in a strong way at Freiburg. They're special magical nights and hopefully the second leg will be the same."

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk speaking to TNT Sports: "Obviously it's not great. A very, very disappointing evening. Too many individual mistakes and we got punished for it. It feels bad.

"With the man-marking system they do, we have to do much better. When we have the ball we have to do better and be much stronger. The spaces were open and they punished us immediately.

"A very disappointing night for all of us but we can't dwell on it for too long. We need everyone to look forward to another big game. We have to switch back onto getting results.

"We were wide open. It's more that we conceded the goals because we lost the ball in difficult areas. It hurts. But it can't put us down. We have to react pretty quickly.

"It hurts of course. We haven't lost here for a long time. But we shouldn't take the credit away from them. They punished us for being sloppy in possession. We still had chances to score one or two and unfortunately we didn't.

"If you don't believe, there's no point going to Italy. We have made it very hard for ourselves going there 3-0 down. But the way to bounce back is by winning the game on the weekend. We need everyone to switch it back on. Then we can focus on putting out at least four goals over there."

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Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka to TNT Sports: "We knew before the game West Ham would be deep but we showed one more time we have the quality to beat these teams.

"The second goal helps a lot for the second leg. We have to be focused from the beginning [next week].

"We have the passion to play, to believe in ourselves, the quality to score in every minute."

A little more nervy than home fans would have liked. Lille worthy of at least one goal, but Villa have their noses in front.

Unai Emery's side maintain their 100% home record in the competition with Princes William and George watching on.

It was one of the best performances I have seen at Anfield.

I have been to some European nights and seen Liverpool outdone by opposition teams. That was hugely impressive.

To come here and play the way they did and take the game to them, it's outstanding.

Full-time elsewhere in the Europa League quarter-finals. This is how it's finished:

Benfica 2-1 Marseille (Rafa, Angel Di María and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang)

AC Milan 0-1 Roma (Gianluca Mancini)

England's Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek both got on the pitch in Italy.

Aston Villa get the first-leg win but a lot of work needed in France next week to book a semi-final spot.

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