As domestic leagues across the continent wind down, Wednesday night sees the first of three UEFA finals as Atalanta face Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
Hosted this year at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, this is the very first single-game UEFA Cup/Europa League final between clubs from Italy and Germany.
Leverkusen may have ended their 31-year wait for silverware with the Bundesliga crown, but can La Dea quell their own drought of six decades for a major trophy?
Bundesliga history
For Bayer Leverkusen, this season has been nothing short of pure ecstasy.
Having sealed their maiden Meisterschale and a first trophy in three decades-plus, Die Werkself also made history as the first winners to remain unbeaten for the term.
Led by the relentless Xabi Alonso, the North-Rhine Westphalia outfit have become a juggernaut.
Good morning! 🤩@XabiAlonso | #DeutscherMeisterSVB #Winnerkusen pic.twitter.com/4yihpLmvmt
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) May 20, 2024
After earning many millions of admiring glances across the footballing world and as winners of this very trophy as the UEFA Cup in 1988, Alonso can become nothing short of a deity on Wednesday night.
Having waited so long to end their club honours drought, could Leverkusen win two pots in the space of mere weeks?
They are the bookies’ favourites in the Irish capital.
Plucky underdogs
In the case of Atalanta, meanwhile, the last time La Dea claimed silverware, man had not set foot on the moon.
June 2 1963, courtesy of a hat-trick from Angelo Domenghini against Torino, in fact.
An extraordinary thought.
Having been runner-up in 1988 Cup Winners’ Cup – a curious coincidence – Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have been bridesmaids in the Coppa Italia three times in the last six seasons – again to Juventus in Rome last week.
Sizeable 7/2 underdogs for this clash, in many ways, a win for Atalanta would be fitting.
The antithesis of a side that have paved the way for a new vibrant and attractive generation in Serie A, can Atalanta finally get over the line?
Betting
This will be Leverkusen’s first major European final since 2002, when beaten 2-1 by Real Madrid at Hampden Park, courtesy of Zinedine Zidane’s sensational volleyed winner.
However, across the Irish Sea this could be a different story.
Atalanta have a plethora of attacking weapons in Ademola Lookman, Teun Koopmeiners and Charles De Ketelaere, but unfortunately they face a menacing opposition.
La Dea are not a team to play with caution and that may very well go against them in Dublin.
Because of their approach however, it should ensure an entertaining final and punters looking at over 2.5 goals may be rewarded at Evens with Betfred.
As also is Leverkusen to win and both teams to score at a 3/1 price boost from 11/4 with BoyleSports, or for the German side to win 2-1 OR 3-1 in 90mins at 5/1 with 888sport.
A number of individual price boosts look enticing also, with Patrik Schick an anytime scorer at 9/5 with SpreadEx – Schick has netted three times in the knockout stages.
Schick may have to settle for the place on the bench with Victor Boniface firing, so an alternative, Schick as a last goalscorer – considering his last-gasp heroics this term – at 9/2 with 10Bet appeals also.
Atalanta face Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League final at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Wednesday evening, kick-off 20:00 BST.
