After a thrilling evening of semi-final action on Thursday, Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta booked their place in the Europa League final in Dublin on 22nd May, and the Aviva Stadium is gearing up to host what should be a fitting climax to the tournament.
The clash will mark the second occasion that the Aviva Stadium has hosted the UEFA Europa League final after it staged the all-Portuguese decider between FC Porto and Braga in 2011 (1-0).
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen secured passage to the showpiece showdown in typically dramatic fashion, battling their way back from two goals down to parity against Roma with a double salvo in the last eight minutes of the second leg.
Having already landed the Bundesliga title for the first time in the club’s history, Alonso’s Die Werkself – who remain unbeaten this season – now have two finals to prepare for in the DFB-Pokal and the Europa League, and the prospect of a historic treble is starting to loom large.
Atalanta, meanwhile, made lighter work of their semi-final challenge when they eased to a convincing 3-0 triumph over Marseille, eventually beating the French giants 4-1 on aggregate.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s La Dea – whose famous 3-0 win at Anfield helped them to oust competition favourites Liverpool in the quarter-finals – can now look forward to their first-ever European final, where landing a first piece of major silverware since a 1963 Coppa Italia is the dream.
2024 Europa League final – can Bayer Leverkusen clinch a historic treble?
Bayer Leverkusen’s transformation from also-rans into a German football powerhouse under the instruction of managerial greenhorn Xabi Alonso has provided one of the sport’s most compelling plotlines this season.
Implementing a short-passing style of play from the traditional Spanish playbook, Alonso has moulded Leverkusen into a winning machine despite being restricted to a modest transfer spend.
The 42-year-old’s achievements have been a victory for coaching in the real sense of the word, and having been priced as contenders for a top-four finish last summer, Die Werkself have defied all expectations – and belief – in 2023/24, roaring to a first Bundesliga title in the club’s 199-year history.
Bayer Leverkusen’s comeback draw against Roma on Thursday evening at the BayArena pushed their unbeaten run to 49 games in all competitions, and with just four fixtures of the campaign left to contest, the German side are within a whisker of galloping through an entire season without a single blemish on their record.
Leverkusen’s wild ride has been characterised by a stylish verve, a commitment to attacking football and numerous last-gasp interventions – indeed, since the turn of the year, Bayer have scored 20 goals in the 80th minute or later.
Like other great sides that came before them, Leverkusen always find a way to get over the line and their knack for netting injury-time winners has allowed them to break Bayern Munich’s 11-year monopoly on the domestic game in Germany.
In the Europa League, Bayer have also looked a cut above, scoring an average of 2.75 goals per game in the tournament so far, while their double-legged victories over West Ham and Roma showcased a steely side to their make-up to complement the silkiness.
Xabi Alonso’s system has been extracting brilliance out of numerous individuals, not least wing-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo, both of whom have passed the 20 mark for goal contributions in all competitions.
Home-grown wonderkid Florian Wirtz, who has four goals and four assists in the Europa League this season, is the jewel in the crown, though the 21-year-old protagonist has a talented supporting cast that includes defenders Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapié, along with experienced former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka.
Bayer Leverkusen finish their Bundesliga campaign with tests against Bochum and Augsburg before they head to Dublin on 22nd May, and three days after their jaunt to the Irish capital, they return to their homeland to take on second-tier side Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final.
If Die Werkself can push their stellar unbeaten surge to a record 53 games, then they will end the 2023/24 campaign with three trophies and a piece of football history.
2024 Europa League final – underdogs Atalanta shouldn’t be underestimated
Atalanta will head to Dublin later this month as underdogs and as the less-talked-about outfit, though head coach Gian Piero Gasperini wouldn’t have it any other way, and La Dea have a long track record of defying both the odds and the naysayers.
Last month, Atalanta were tipped to play a cameo role in Liverpool’s procession to the Europa League title in Jürgen Klopp’s final months with the English club, though Gasperini and his troops had different ideas and won their quarter-final bout with the Reds 4-1 on aggregate.
In the first leg of that tie, Atalanta counter-punched their way to a shock 3-0 victory at Anfield – a result that ended Liverpool’s unbeaten home record for the season and inflicted the Merseysiders’ first loss in front of the Kop since Real Madrid won there in February 2023.
That result sent shockwaves across the Continent, though those with their finger on the pulse of Italian football were less surprised.
Atalanta have been punching above their weight for eight years under the direction of Gasperini, and despite operating under budgetary constraints, the club is on course to land a place in Serie A’s top five for the sixth time in eight seasons.
Atalanta’s recruitment policy involves taking punts on lesser-known young players and carefully sourced veteran cast-offs. Their business in the market has generated a profit in eight of the last 10 years, though they have remained ultra-competitive regardless.
Gasperini’s current star turns include highly rated centre-half Giorgio Scalvini, Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, and talented pair Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca, both of whom have resurrected their careers in Bergamo following failed stints at bigger clubs (AC Milan and West Ham respectively).
Like Xabi Alonso, Gasperini utilises a three-at-the-back system with rotational movement further up the pitch to great effect, and Atalanta’s tactical battle with Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin should make for a captivating watch.
If you fancy a cheeky midweek flutter…
Bayer Leverkusen have already been installed as odds-on favourites to lift the Europa League trophy at Atalanta’s expense, and few would oppose an unbeaten side who seem destined to finish the campaign laden with silverware.
However, if you are lining up a wager for the Europa League final in Dublin on 22nd May, backing both teams to score might be a savvier move.
While Leverkusen have an ability to claw their way back from seemingly lost causes, their habit of drifting towards peril has seen them fall behind in four of their last six Europa League fixtures, with BTTS landing in five of their last seven tussles in the tournament overall.
Atalanta, who have scored in 11 of their last 12 matches in the competition, have the quality to land a punch on Leverkusen and TonyBet’s early price of 21/25 in the market makes backing both teams to score an attractive prospect.
If you’re on the lookout for something meatier, then backing Atalanta to be winning at half-time and Bayer Leverkusen at full-time at a whopping 24/1 with TonyBet might suit you. Leverkusen have been unstoppable comeback kings this season and another victory pulled from the fire would be a fitting way for them to triumph in Dublin.
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