A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Wednesday:
ENGLAND
Already in the League Cup final and with a commanding lead in the Premier League, Manchester City could be headed for another domestic treble as Pep Guardiola’s team switches focus to the FA Cup and a fifth-round trip to second-tier Swansea. A victory at the Liberty Stadium would be City’s 15th straight in all competitions and break the record for the longest winning run by a top-flight English side, surpassing Preston (from 1892) and Arsenal (from 1987). Swansea is one of the in-form teams in the Championship, though, having beaten leader Norwich last weekend to extend its undefeated run to eight games and close in on the automatic promotion spots. There are two all-Premier League matchups as Everton hosts Tottenham and Brighton visits Leicester, while Sheffield United is at home to second-tier Bristol City.
SPAIN
With both teams peaking, Barcelona visits Sevilla in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. The Catalan club enters the semis coming off a six-game winning streak in all competitions, while Sevilla has won seven in a row in all tournaments. The teams played in the Copa final in 2016 and 2018, with Barcelona coming out on top both times. Lionel Messi is set to start for Barcelona after being rested during part of the team’s Spanish league win over Real Betis on Sunday. Coach Ronald Koeman will be without three players because of injuries — Martin Braithwaite, Sergiño Dest and Miralem Pjanic. Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui will be without injured players Lucas Ocampos and Jesús Navas. Athletic Bilbao hosts Levante on Thursday in the first leg of the other semifinal.
ITALY
Holder Napoli visits Atalanta in the second leg of their Italian Cup semifinal. The winner will play Juventus in the final on May 19. Napoli beat Juventus last season to win its sixth Italian Cup trophy. Atalanta has reached the final on four occasions, and as recently as 2019, but its only triumph in the competition was in 1963. Both Atalanta and Napoli have yet to win a match this month.
FRANCE
Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG side has been hit by injuries to several key players ahead of Wednesday’s trip to second-division club Caen in the French Cup’s round of 64. Before traveling next week to Barcelona in the Champions League, Pochettino is expected to rotate his squad as PSG starts the defense of its title in Normandy without Marco Verratti and Angel Di Maria. Following its 2-0 loss to PSG in the French league, 10-time French Cup winner Marseille plays at Auxerre without its new striker Arkadiusz Milik, who is sidelined with a thigh injury and should not return before next week. Midfielder Olivier Ntcham, whose arrival on loan at the southern club on transfer deadline day triggered coach Andre Villas-Boas’ departure, is expected to make his debut.
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