Atalanta 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen
Atalanta are the 2024 Europa League champions after they put in a fantastic display to beat Xabi Alonso’s previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta came up with one of the biggest Europa League 2024 results when they beat Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the quarter finals and they capped that in sensational style as Ademola Lookman scored a world-class hat-trick to stun the German champions in front of a packed crowd at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Having already won the Bundesliga in some style Die Werkself were homing on a remarkable treble, with a DFB Pokal final to come and this Europa final tonight, but their 51-game unbeaten run was ended by an Atalanta side which was excellent from start to finish. So Alonso’s seemingly invincible side has finally been beaten and Atalanta will be playing Champions League football next season.
Highlights of the game
In a sizzling atmosphere in the Aviva Stadium the Italians came out of the blocks in typical Gasperini style, on the attack and ready to entertain and they were ahead on 12 minutes after a beautiful counter-attacking move. Teun Koopmeiners flew down the right flank and then found Davide Zappacosta who made his way to the bi-line before pulling the back for Lookman who finished superbly into the top left corner from ten yards.
And 14 minutes later Lookman doubled his tally and put La Dea firmly in charge. Leverkusen have been the epitome of efficiency this season but they were sloppy to lose the ball in their own half. The former Everton and Fulham man was really in the mood and he robbed the ball and then nut-megged Granit Xhaka before curling in another cracker, this time from 20 yards.
Xhaka will not want to watch that one over!
While they had plenty of the ball Die Werkself were struggling to carve out chances, playing without a main striker, and Atalanta closed down any space they had in midfield. When a chance came for Leverkusen, and it was a golden one, they fluffed it. Alex Grimaldo was clean through on goal and Atalanta keeper Juan Musso came off his line; but Grimaldo’s attempted chip landed safely in the grateful Musso’s arms.
Atalanta were so dangerous on the attack and Zappacosta came close to adding a third but his shot was well saved at the near post by Matej Kovar.
As expected Leverkusen, who have a habit of scoring late, came out for the second half on the attack but they failed to get the goal they needed, Jeremie Frimpong blasting a good chance over the bar and then, with 75 minutes on the clock, Lookman showed the Germans how to finish. As the Italians went on another counter-attack Gianluca Scamacca drove through the middle and he found Lookman on the edge of the penalty area and this time the Nigerian star shifted the ball onto his left and fired another brilliant strike into the top corner.
Leverkusen almost pulled one back when Nathan Tella teed up Patrik Schick but his flick was deflected behind for a corner; and the Germans wanted a penalty when Adam Hlozek went to ground but, for the first time this season, it just wasn’t their night.
Key statistics
Unbeaten in all competitions before tonight, the Europa League 2024 betting odds backed Bayer Leverkusen to keep that incredible run going and in our SBOTOP preview of the final we backed goals, and in a breath-taking first half we had two, but not in the end we expected!
Atalanta were superb in the first 45 and deserved their lead with six shots to Leverkusen’s four and four to two on target. And while the Germans came back after the break and matched the shot count at ten each, Atalanta had seven on target to three and Bayer simply had no answer to Lookman.
This was only the third meeting between these two sides, Atalanta coming out on top when they clashed in the last 16 of the 2022 Europa League and now they have made it a hugely impressive three.
What’s next?
Leverkusen need to dust themselves off for the first time this season, before they face Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal final on Saturday at the Olimpiastadion in Berlin. The odds are on Alonso’s team doing a domestic double and that will be a superb achievement.
Atalanta have already confirmed their Champions League participation next season with this Europa win and, currently fifth, they could jump above Juventus into fourth place in Serie A with two home games, against Torino and Fiorentina to come. Roma are three points back in sixth with just a match away to Empoli so it looks highly likely Atalanta will finish at least fifth.
Serie A won a fifth Champions League place, along with the Bundesliga and that meant La Dea’s task was made easier; but they didn’t need any help and Gasperini has led his team back into Europe’s elite on an unforgettable night for La Dea and Lookman.
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