Europa League final preview: Atalanta vs Leverkusen – where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups, form guide

Atalanta meet Leverkusen in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League final at Dublin Arena on Wednesday 22 May.

Where to watch the Europa League final on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Europa League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

This is not Atalanta and Leverkusen's first Europa League encounter; back in the 2021/22 round of 16, Gian Piero Gasperini's side got the better of a Werkself team coached by Gerardo Seoane, winning 3-2 at home and then 1-0 at the BayArena. That will be a comfort to the Serie A outfit, who eliminated Liverpool in this year's quarter-final and have a striker in Gianluca Scamacca who has hit peak form at just the right time. However, few would relish an encounter with Xabi Alonso's charges on current form.

Five-time runners-up in the past, Leverkusen stormed to their first Bundesliga title this year and can complete a treble if they follow up a Europa League final win with success against Kaiserslautern in the German Cup decider on Saturday 25 May.

It is a stark contrast to Leverkusen's famous 2001/02 campaign, when they finished second in the Bundesliga and runners-up in both the German Cup and UEFA Champions League. The 2-2 draw against Roma in their semi-final second leg was their 49th game unbeaten since the start of the season (they have since extended that run to 51 matches), and the sheer number of crucial late goals they have scored is a measure of the immense desire Xabi Alonso has instilled in his side.

Possible starting line-ups

Atalanta: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolašinac; Zappacosta, Éderson, Koopmeiners, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Pašalić; Scamacca
Out: Holm (calf), De Roon (thigh)
Doubtful: Tolói (thigh), Kolašinac (thigh)

Leverkusen: Kovář; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Stanišić, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz; Frimpong, Adli
Out: none
Doubtful: none

Form guide

Atalanta
Form: WLWWWD (all competitions, most recent first)
Most recent result: Lecce 0-2 Atalanta, 18/05, Italian Serie A

Leverkusen
Form: WWDWWDD
Most recent result: Leverkusen 2-1 Augsburg, 18/05, German Bundesliga

Expert predictions

Paolo Menicucci, Atalanta reporter
"Did you seen Atalanta vs Roma?" asked Pep Guardiola recently. "The match they played: wow! Atalanta are incredible. They can beat any team they want." Who am I to disagree? The climax to Atalanta’s season has been incredible, Gasperini’s men playing at a different tempo to their Serie A rivals and sparkling in the UEFA Europa League, where forwards Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca have hit top form when it counts the most. Leverkusen are undefeated this season, but this will be a very severe test for the German champions.

Matthias Rötters, Leverkusen reporter
Anyone who has seen Leverkusen this season will find it hard to believe that the Werkself will lose this game. That is not because Xabi Alonso's side are invulnerable (Qarabağ and Roma showed that in previous rounds) but because they have responded to every setback they have faced so far, in the Bundesliga and the Europa League, and they remain unbeaten. The amount of late goals they have scored is also a measure of the quality Leverkusen can call on from the bench. Even an inventive side like Atalanta may find them too hot to handle.

View from the camps

Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta coach: "We believe that we have prepared everything we had to prepare so we are just eager to play. We are in the best possible condition in a psychological and physical sense. We are aware that we are facing a great team. We know that Leverkusen are unbeaten and we know that they have had an amazing season. The results they have achieved this season are not an accident. Certainly, small details can make the difference in a final. We have to respect them and try to adapt quickly to the opponents we are facing."

Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen coach: "We are very familiar with [Atalanta] but this is a team that continues to progress and evolve. We have played against similar teams in Germany but what matters above all tomorrow is mentality. We have a gameplan but the players still have that wonderful atmosphere from the title celebrations on Saturday and we want to tap into that. It's a different thing to have a final as a player and as a coach. Now it's like this: when the ball is rolling, it's time for the players. But I have great confidence in my team. They will do it."

What do the 2024 Europa League winners get?

UEFA via Getty Images

The UEFA Europa League trophy stands at 65cm tall and weighs 15kg. A silver cup on a yellow marble plinth, it was designed and crafted by the Bertoni workshop in Milan. Just above the plinth, a group of players seem to be jostling for the ball, when, in fact, they are supporting the octagonal 'cup' which is emblazoned with the UEFA emblem.

The 2023/24 winners also gain a place in the new-look 2024/25 UEFA Champions League league phase.