Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE: Ademola Lookman hat-trick wins Europa League final for Italian side
Atalanta triumphed in Dublin to end a 61-year wait for silverware
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Atalanta triumphed in the Europa League final and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten streak.
In a display nearing perfection Gian Piero Gasperini’s side put down a marker early in the game after winning a corner. The initial ball was cleared by Leverkusen, but David Zappacosta dribbled back into the box before picking out Ademola Lookman at the back post.
Lookman’s opener increased the confidence of Atalanta who pressed high with such intensity that Leverkusen had no answer. Lookman was a nightmare for defender Edmond Tapsoba and added a second by cutting inside and curling home a right-footed shot in the 26th minute.
He completed a spectacular hat-trick with a counterattack in the second half. Gianluca Scamacca fed him into the left side of the box and Lookman blasted his strike into the far, top corner.
Leverkusen’s resistance was over and Atalanta claimed their first ever European trophy.
Relive the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen have faced Atalanta twice in European competition, with the Italian side winning both legs of a 2021-22 Europa League last 16 tie.
Bayer have only faced Internazionale more often while losing every game in major European competition (three defeats in three games).
Asylum seekers moved on from makeshift camp at Dublin’s Grand Canal ahead of Europa League final
Tents which have been pitched by asylum seekers along a stretch of the Grand Canal in Dublin have been removed.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said around 89 males who had been sleeping there are to be housed in various centres after being moved on Tuesday 21 May.
He also said that those sleeping in the area were not moved because of a high-profile football match. The Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen is to be held at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Wednesday night.
Mr Ryan said the asylum seekers were moved as accommodation became available and not because of the sporting spectacle.
Alonso on motivation to succeed tonight
The Bayer Leverkusen coach spoke yesterday about the Europa League final saying: “Losing in last season’s semi-final is a huge motivation; we have already spoken about how things felt last season. We were very close to the final.
“We have harnessed this disappointment to our benefit. When you go to the final you don’t go there to make up the numbers, you go to win it. We will try and make one last effort.
“Our focus has been preparing the game; we haven’t changed anything. We have played this year 51 games so we have talked so much and it’s great that the players have this understanding of the different situation of the preparations.
“Now the task is for us to win these next two games [for an unbeaten season].”
Alonso on Atalanta
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said: “We know that for the last five years Atalanta have had a very clear identity under Gian Piero Gasperini.
“We are very familiar with the team 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 gamplan but the players still have that wonderful atmosphere from the title celebrations on Saturday and we want to tap into that.”
Gasperini on Leverkusen:
“Leverkusen are a complete team; extremely organised. They are versatile, they can defend and recover the ball well. 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.”
More from Atalanta’s head coach
Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at his pre-match press conference yesterday saying: “We believe that we have prepared everything we had to prepare so we are just eager to play and we have to find the right level of calmness to spend the next 24 hours knowing that we have done everything we had to do.
“Gianlucca Scamacca has improved drastically in recent months, not only in terms of goals but also in terms of performances. We certainly missed him in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus. I’m glad we will have all our attackers available tomorrow.
“I think we are in the best possible condition in a psychological and physical sense. I’m very sad about Marten de Roon’s absence, first of all because he deserved to play in this game, and then because he is a key player for us. But I think we are in a very good condition otherwise.
“We are aware that we are facing a great team. We know that they are undefeated and we know that they have had an amazing season. Our journey, however, was also very good as we beat very strong teams to reach the final and we also have belief.”
‘Everyone taking notice of Atalanta’ says Shay Given
Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given says that Atalanta’s victory over Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Europa League means they are a force to be reckoned with tonight.
He said: “Atalanta’s standout performance would definitely be Liverpool in the quarter-finals at Anfield. I was working that night for TV and the score kept popping up and I was thinking, ‘That can’t be right – they must have got it the wrong way round.’
“Everyone around Europe took notice of that result. Leverkusen will probably analyse that game a lot because they were so good on the night at Anfield and they could have scored more.”
Pires backing Xhaka to perform
Two former Arsenal stars have been having their say on tonight’s match with Robert Pirès, the famous ex-Arsenal and France midfielder picking out Granit Xhaka as one to watch.
He said: “Granit Xhaka is very important for Leverkusen; he has played very well and provides a good balance for the team. He has a lot of experience and that’s why Xabi Alonso wanted to get him from Arsenal.”
Xhaka of course joined the German side after leaving the Gunners last summer. This will be his second Europa League final, he lost his first on in 2019 when Arsenal were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea, and hopes to go one better tonight.
“You always get a second chance in life,” he said. “This time, I want to make the most of it.”
The Europa League trophy
This is what the teams are battling for this evening.
The 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.
Xabi Alonso’s pre-match thoughts
Leverkusen coach, Xabi Alonso, said: “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.”
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