Atalanta will take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final and the sides will face each other at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this evening.
Leverkusen will be hoping to continue their incredible undefeated season and target a second trophy of the year after comfortably conquering the Bundesliga. Xabi Alonso’s men have just two games, including this one, left in the season and could complete an entire campaign without defeat. Their other match is the German Cup final, meaning they are also on course for a potential treble.
However, Atalanta are in decent form and are unbeaten in each of their four matches since the 1-0 defeat to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final. They won their last six games in Serie A and edged past Marseille 4-1 in the Europa League semi-finals. Italy’s strong performance in this year’s European competitions also means that Atalanta, who are fifth in the domestic league, have already secured a place in next year’s Champions League, so they are under no added pressure to win tonight triumph.
Follow all the action below and get the latest odds and tips here:
Europa League final LIVE
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Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen will meet in the Europa League final with kick-off at 8 p.m.
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Leverkusen will be hoping to secure the second trophy and remain undefeated this season
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Atalanta defeated Marseille in the semi-finals and are in good form
Pre-match thoughts from Gian Piero Gasperini
5:15 PM , Mike Jones
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini spoke ahead of the final and gave his opinion on what he expects from the match: “We believe that we have prepared everything we had to prepare, so we are eager to play. We are in the best possible condition psychologically and physically.
“We are aware that we are facing a great team. We know Leverkusen are undefeated and we know they have had a great season.
“The results they have achieved this season are no coincidence. Certainly, small details can make all the difference in a final. We must respect them and try to adapt quickly to the opponents we face.”
How Xabi Alonso took Bayer Leverkusen to the brink of perfection
5:10 PM , Mike Jones
When Xabi Alonso arrived in Dublin he was naturally asked if it was good to be back. The Bayer Leverkusen manager came to Ireland for a summer at the age of 14 to learn English, and that only furthers the feeling that things have come full circle. There is a personal history here, and there may well be a football history through a series of doubles. Alonso can ensure an unbeaten European season in Wednesday’s Europa League final against Atalanta, followed by an unbeaten league campaign. There is still the DFB-Pokal final to come on Saturday, and that is against second division Kaiserslautern. The Basque is so close to an unprecedented unbeaten treble and what would be one of football’s greatest achievements.
It must be emphasized that he has already done something alchemical, such as perhaps Sir Alex Ferguson’s first Scottish title with Aberdeen and perhaps Jose Mourinho’s Champions League with FC Porto. It’s not just about Bayern Munich being denied the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012, after the perennial champions spent more than €100 million on players like Harry Kane. They do this with a club that has only claimed one major trophy in their history and have been branded as perennial losers. In modern football this was not possible. It’s not like this team has just played the percentages or strived to get there through a bizarre campaign either. The Invincible Season speaks to its emphatic nature and emotion, amplified by so many late comebacks and winners. It’s vintage stuff.
How Xabi Alonso took Bayer Leverkusen to the brink of perfection
Atalanta and Leverkusen have history
5:05 PM , Mike Jones
This is not the first Europa League match between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen.
In the 2021/22 round of 16, Gian Piero Gasperini’s Italian side defeated a Werkself team coached by Gerardo Seoane. They won the first leg 3-2 before winning a thrilling match 1-0 at the BayArena to reach the quarter-finals.
Will Atalanta be on the winning side again tonight?
More from referee Istvan Kovacs
5:00 PM , Mike Jones
“I love the adrenaline when I’m on the field; it’s one of the best things about being a referee,” he explained when asked about his thoughts on taking charge of tonight’s match.
“If I make good decisions during the match, I prove to myself that I can handle these big matches. I love soccer. For me, being a referee is the best job in the world and I advise young people to seize this opportunity.
“During my career I have made many contacts, built good relationships with my colleagues and have enjoyed visiting many different countries through my work.
“The Europa League final will be a proud moment for me, but also for the team next to me and for Romanian football more broadly. I am indebted to many people back home for the success I have had in my career.
“Many people have helped me with good advice or support when I have had difficult times. The chairman of the referee committee in Romania, Kyros Vassaras, has helped us to improve many things in the domestic game, and there is one person who has been next to me since I started – István Szilágyi – and I thank him in his speech. especially because he has always supported me.”
He added: “I’m not changing the way I prepare for matches. I do the same whether it is a European final or a Romanian league match, and this ensures that I am completely focused. Once the game is over, we can reflect and enjoy the occasion.
Europa League final referee Istvan Kovacs ready for the match
4:55 PM , Mike Jones
The referee for tonight’s match is Romanian Istvan Kovacs and this is the third season in a row that he has officiated at a UEFA club final.
He took charge of the first showpiece of the Europa Conference League in Tirana in 2022 and was the fourth official in the Champions League decider between Manchester City and Inter Milan in Istanbul last June.
“This will be my second UEFA final as a referee and it really is a dream come true,” said the 39-year-old. “It is of course useful for this occasion to have refereed the final of the Europa Conference League in 2022.
“I still remember the feelings and the experience of that night, but I still have to work and prepare well for the match to make sure everything goes well that night. It is a big responsibility to be appointed for this competition and I want to prove that I am ready for this challenge.”
Europa League final LIVE
4:50 PM , Mike Jones
Fans have flocked to Ireland ahead of this big match, with Dublin hosting the Europa League final. Here are some pictures of supporters enjoying themselves ahead of kick-off.
Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction
4:45 PM , Mike Jones
The bookmakers have the newly crowned German champions as heavy favorites to win tonight and it’s hard to look past Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. They have been the stars of European football this season and probably deserve to win the Europa League, but Atalanta cannot be left out.
A relatively decent campaign in Serie A has been nicely complemented by a competent and controlled run through the Europa League knockout rounds. The Italian side looked a class above in their semi-final first leg against Marseille and with some confidence behind them, Leverkusen could cause some problems in this one-off encounter.
That said, Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated this year for a reason and it seems likely that they will make history again tonight with another win.
Atalanta 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Predicted lineups and latest odds
4:40 PM , Mike Jones
Here’s a look at how we think the two teams will line up tonight:
Atalanta XI: Musso; Toloi, Hien, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, Koopmeiners, Ederson, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Lookman; Scamacca.
Bayer Leverkusen XI: Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Adil, Wirtz; Boniface.
Given their incredible season so far, Bayer Leverkusen may be the overwhelming favorites to lift the trophy tonight. Here are the latest odds for the Europa League final:
Atalanta victory – 16/5
Draw – 27/10
Bayer Leverkusen wins – 4/5
Early team news
4:35 PM , Mike Jones
Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon has confirmed he will miss the final due to the knee injury he suffered in the Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus. Sead Kolasinac has been absent recently due to a thigh problem.
Florian Wirtz has been carefully managed by Alonso in recent weeks amid a busy schedule but should be fit to start for Bayer Leverkusen.
How to watch Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen
4:30 PM , Mike Jones
The Europa League final kicks off at 8pm BST at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage on the channel from 7pm BST. A live stream will be available via Discovery+, with both this match and the Champions League final made available to non-subscribers.
You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ herefor only €30.99 per month.
Good evening!
15:37 , Mike Jones
Welcome to That of the Independents coverage of tonight’s Europa League final, which sees Atalanta take on Bayer Leverkusen to decide which team will lift the trophy in UEFA’s second European competition.
The route to the final has been difficult for both sides, but they have proven to be strong competitors and have earned their place in this showpiece event at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
We’ll have the latest team news, line-ups and updates all evening, so stay with us as we build up to kick-off at 8pm.