- All-conquering Leverkusen break Benfica’s record
- Europa League final line-up is set
- Xabi Alonso spurred on by pain of last season’s Europa League heartbreak
The line-up for the UEFA Europa League final is now set with Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen ready to face off. But when does it take place, where and what do we know about the finalists? Read on to get all the answers.
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How have Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen reached this stage?
This is a landmark game for Atalanta as it’s their first European final. Gian Piero Gasperini has worked wonders to get the Serie A side to this stage with impressive wins over Sporting CP, Liverpool and Marseille in the knockout stages.
Leverkusen are more experienced European campaigners with this their second major final. They won this competition in 1988 – albeit in its previous iteration as the UEFA Cup – while they also reached the final of the Champions League in 2002 but lost to a Zinedine Zidane-inspired Real Madrid at Hampden Park. The German side saw off competition from Qarabag, West Ham and Roma to reach the final.
What kind of game can we expect?
It promises to be a fantastic contest between two sides that play on the front foot. Atalanta proved that against Liverpool in particular, stunning Jurgen Klopp’s men with a 3-0 first-leg win at Anfield.
They currently sit fifth in Serie A and appear well set to play in next season’s Champions League. A fifth-placed finish would be sufficient. Failing that, beating Leverkusen and winning the Europa League would also give them a route to play among Europe’s elite next season.
Leverkusen have, of course, already booked their place in next season’s Champions League after ending Bayern Munich’s domestic dominance and winning the Bundesliga. That only tells a fraction of the story of the work done by Xabi Alonso and his Leverkusen players, though.
His all-conquering team are unbeaten in 50 matches this season following Sunday’s 5-0 hammering of Bochum. They surpassed Benfica’s European record of 48 with a 2-2 draw against Roma that secured their place in Dublin. In addition to winning the Bundesliga and reaching the final of the Europa League, they are also in the final of the DFB-Pokal and will take on 2.Bundesliga side Kaiserslautern.
Have the sides met before?
The teams have only met once before, in a two-legged tie in the last 16 of the 2021-22 Europa League with Atalanta winning 3-2 in Bergamo before also sneaking a 1-0 victory in the return at the BayArena.
Make an entry in your diary
This game has so much riding on it, and plenty of intrigue. It’s not one you’d want to miss.
It takes place at the Dublin Arena on Wednesday, May 22. Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST.
