Charles Jackson
It’s the Invincibles against the Goddess in Dublin on Wednesday as Bayer Leverkusen face Atalanta for the Europa League title. Two clubs without a great history of major titles are close to the prize, which would be by far Atalanta’s biggest, given that their last top-flight trophy came in the 1963 Italian Cup final.
You don’t have to go back that far to see the last time Bayer Leverkusen won a trophy, it was only on Saturday that they celebrated the Bundesliga title they won last month. Still, the risks could be even greater for Xabi Alonso’s team, as they try to achieve something unprecedented in post-war football history, an undefeated season in all competitions. Here’s how you can watch the game and what you need to know:
Viewing information
- Date: Wednesday, May 22 | Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Aviva Stadium – Dublin
- Live broadcast: Paramount+
- Chances: Atalanta +333; Draw +260; Bayer Leverkusen-125
How did they get here
Atalanta’s path to the final has been impressive, starting with a group stage campaign in which Gianpiero Gasperini’s side won four and drew two, beating Sporting away from home to come top of a group that included teams that would go on to to be champions of Portugal and Austria. Another rematch with Sporting raised no fear for Atalanta, Gianluca Scamacca and Ademola Lookman scoring in the second half in Bergamo.
Then came one of the games of the season, with Scamacca rising to the occasion with two goals, as strong favorites Liverpool were knocked out of the competition with a 3-0 defeat at Anfield, an irretrievable deficit even for Jurgen Klopp. Marseille held firm in the semi-final first leg, but Atalanta were rampant at home, with Lookman scoring in the first half before Matteo Ruggeri and El Bilal Touré guided La Déa for a first European final.
Bayer Leverkusen’s dramatic talent was on full display in the knockout stage of the Europa League, even if Group H was quite prosaic: 19 goals for, three against and 18 points out of 18 possible. they lost two goals in both legs to Qarabag. Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick secured a draw in Baku, but the second leg was more dramatic, with the latter scoring in the 93rd and 98th minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory.
The series of late goals didn’t stop there; Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface undid West Ham in the first leg, before Jeremie Frimpong denied the Irons even the consolation of a second-leg win. As for Roma, the hard work appeared to be done when Daniele De Rossi’s men were beaten 2-0 in the Italian capital, but two Leandro Paredes penalties opened the semi-final.
A goal from Gianluca Mancini restored Leverkusen’s advantage on aggregate, but that would not be enough for a team chasing a record 49 games unbeaten, a full season with no defeat in sight. Josip Stanisic scored in the 98th minute and the run continued, as it did all the way to Dublin.
Team News
Atalanta: Marten de Roon’s absence will be deeply felt by Atalanta, vice-captain and veteran of almost 350 games for the club, revealing last week that a thigh injury meant that “what should have been the most important week of my career, became It’s the biggest nightmare.” There were also doubts about the availability of Sead Kolasinac, a key member of Gasperini’s defensive line, but he took part in training. Rafael Toloi is also nursing a thigh problem.
Possible Atalanta XI: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Ederson, Koopmeiners, Ruggeri; From Ketelaere, Pasalic; Scamacca
Bayer Leverkusen: Alonso had one major cause for concern in the days leading up to the final: would the transformative Florian Wirtz be fit enough to start after playing just 27 minutes of Bundesliga football in the final three games of the campaign? The answer was quite clear.
“Flo can play and is in good shape,” said the Leverkusen coach. “Let’s see what role he gets [Wednesday]. In any case, he is undoubtedly a fundamental player for us and can make a difference in every game.”
That aside, it’s a completely fit squad for Alonso to choose from, with Amine Adli vying for the spot ahead of Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann. Matej Kovar will retain his role as Leverkusen’s goalkeeper in the cup.
Possible Bayer Leverkusen XI: Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Wirtz; Adli
Prediction
Atalanta will give Leverkusen as tough a test as any, but after everything the Bundesliga champions have achieved in the last 10 months, how could you face them? CHOICE: Atalanta 1, Bayer Leverkusen 2 (after)
