Atalanta vs Leverkusen: Where the Europa League final could be won and lost
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
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UEFA.com's reporting team considers the factors that could decide the UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta and Leverkusen in Dublin.
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As we gear up for the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta and Leverkusen, UEFA.com reporters Paolo Menicucci and Matthias Rötters analyse the factors that could decide who claims the trophy.
Can Atalanta rise to the big occasion?
This is Atalanta's first European final, but the Bergamo side have played plenty of finals in domestic competition of late. Last week's 1-0 loss to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final was a third cup final defeat in six years for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men, following losses in 2019 and 2021. Being cast as underdogs against the undefeated German champions could help this young Atalanta side in Dublin, but they need to show they can be at their best in big games like this.
Is Wirtz on his game?
No one doubts Leverkusen's quality, but in a game as big as this, any team stands and falls by the form of its difference-makers. Leverkusen have a few (including Alejandro Grimaldo, Granit Xhaka and Patrik Schick), but no one makes them tick quite like Florian Wirtz, who has been struggling with a thigh injury in recent weeks. If he is at his best against Atalanta, the Serie A side are in for a very difficult night. If Wirtz is not yet back to full fitness, that could make a big difference.
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Is it Scamacca's time to shine?
Nobody, it seems, is more eager to play this final than Atalanta's Gianluca Scamacca. Suspended for the Coppa Italia final, the Rome-born striker missed last year's UEFA Europa Conference League final with West Ham due to injury. "Finals are special games," he said recently, and his special touch was certainly missed in that Coppa Italia decider. Those stats again: Scamacca has scored six goals in his last seven Europa League games, and 12 in all competitions since 3 March.
Will Alonso get his attacking choices right?
Xabi Alonso has tried out countless attacking options over the course of the season, and pretty much all of them have worked out. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with for the final, with Josip Stanišić, Amine Adli, Jeremie Frimpong, Nathan Tella, Jonas Hofmann, Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick all potentially involved, all of them top players who are used to Leverkusen's 3-2-4-1 system. The question is will the coach ace it again, or finally slip up?
Can 'RoboCop' Koopmeiners find his range?
On paper, Atalanta and Leverkusen are attack-minded sides, but with so much at stake, the final may be a cagey one, where a shot from distance or a well-taken free-kick could end up making all the difference. In this respect, Atalanta have a none-too-secret weapon in Teun Koopmeiners. The left-footed midfielder has scored 12 Serie A goals this season – the biggest tally for a Dutchman in Italy since Ruud Gullit in 1994/95 – many of them from range. Will he deliver again in Dublin?
Do Leverkusen know how to handle pressure?
"Getting to a final is difficult; winning it is even harder," said Alonso after his side made it to Dublin. Having won the Bundesliga in such emphatic style, there is a sense that Leverkusen have yet to be truly tested on a big occasion like a final; their German Cup decider against Kaiserslautern comes three days after the Europa League assignment. How good is the best team of the season in this special situation? This question can and will decide whether the final ends in victory or defeat.