Europa League draw simulated as Liverpool face battle of the Brits – before potential meeting with future boss in final

LIVERPOOL may need to win two Battles of Britain to reach the Europa League final, according to SunSport’s simulated draw.

Then the Reds could face their future boss in the final.

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Getty

Ahead of the second legs of the last-16 and tomorrow’s draw, we threw the eight ties into our simulator machine.

And it churned out a host of exciting, mouth-watering fixtures for the remainder of the tournament.

The standout tie for the quarter-finals saw Liverpool/Sparta Prague pitted against Rangers/Benfica.

Two icons of British football, Liverpool and Rangers played each other for the first time in competitive football in 2022.

They were in the same Champions League group as Jurgen Klopp’s men ran out 2-0 and 7-1 winners.

Now they could be about to re-do battle in the Europa League.

Liverpool thumped Sparta Prague 5-1 in the first leg while Rangers claimed a 2-2 draw in Portugal ahead of their return to Ibrox.

Elsewhere in our simulated draw, the winner of that blockbuster quarter-final could end up facing another British club in Premier League rival West Ham.

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The Hammers, who lost their first leg against Freiburg in Germany, were pitted against AC Milan or Slavia Prague.

Should AC Milan come through that section to face Liverpool, though, that would see a repeat of the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals.

On the other side of the draw, Brighton face a seemingly impossible task to overcome their 4-0 deficit against Roma tonight.

Should Roberto De Zerbi mastermind a miracle, the Seagulls would face Marseille or Villarreal in the last eight.

Completing that half of the draw is Sporting or Atalanta against Qarabag or Bayer Leverkusen.

With plenty of European big hitters still involved, Xabi Alonso will know he has his work cut out taking Bayer to the final in Dublin.

The dream of a Bundesliga-Europa League double is still on, drawing the first leg in Azerbaijan with Qarabag 2-2.

And should the German side make it to the Aviva Stadium on May 22, it could see Alonso go up against Klopp in the latter’s final match in charge of Liverpool.

Klopp is leaving the Reds at the end of the season – with ex-Liverpool midfielder Alonso among the favourites to replace him in the summer.

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Xabi Alonso could face Liverpool in Klopp’s final game in charge[/caption]