Where Atalanta vs. Bayer Leverkusen to watch: Europa League final live stream, TV channel, prediction, odds

It’s the Invincibles against the Goddess in Dublin on Wednesday, when Bayer Leverkusen take on Atalanta for the Europa League crown. Two clubs without a great history of major honors are within striking distance of the prize, one that would be Atalanta’s biggest by far, given that their last top-level trophy came in the 1963 Coppa Italia final.

You don’t have to go back that far for the last time Bayer Leverkusen hoisted silverware; only on Saturday did they celebrate the Bundesliga title they secured last month. Yet the stakes could be even higher for Xabi Alonso’s side, who are trying to achieve something unprecedented in post-war football history: an undefeated season in all competitions. Here’s how to watch the match and what you need to know:

View information

• Date: Wednesday May 22 | Time: 3:00 PM ET
• Place: Aviva Stadium – Dublin
• Live stream: Biggest+
• Chances: Atalanta +333; Sign +260; Bayer Leverkusen-125

How they got here

Atalanta’s road to the final was impressive, starting with a group stage in which Gianpiero Gasperini’s side won four and drew two. Sporting were defeated along the way to come top of the group with teams that would later become champions. Portugal and Austria. Another rematch with Sporting saw Atalanta, Gianluca Scamacca and Ademola Lookman score a goal in the second half in Bergamo.

Then came one of the games of the season, Scamacca moved into second place with a brace as strong favorites Liverpool were blown out of the competition with a 3-0 defeat at Anfield, an irrecoverable deficit even for Jürgen Klopp. Marseille held on in the first leg of the semi-finals, but Atalanta reigned supreme at home. Lookman struck in the first half before Matteo Ruggeri and El Bilal Toure took the lead. La Dea to a first European final.

Bayer Leverkusen’s flair for the dramatic was on full display in the knockout stages of the Europa League, even if Group H had been rather prosaic: 19 goals for, three against and 18 points out of a possible 18. The drama came in the round of 16, where Alonso’s men were two goals behind in either leg before Qarabag. Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick earned them a draw in Baku, but the second leg was much more dramatic, with the latter scoring in the 93rd and 98th minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win.

The string of late goals didn’t stop there; Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface undid West Ham in the first leg, before Jeremy Frimpong denied the Irons even the consolation of a win in the second leg. As for Roma, the hard work seemed to be done as Daniele De Rossi’s men were defeated 2-0 in the Italian capital, but two penalties from Leandro Paredes blew the semi-final wide open.

A Gianluca Mancini goal restored Leverkusen’s lead on aggregate, but that would not be enough for a side chasing a record 49th unbeaten match, a full season without a loss in sight. Josip Stanisic struck in the 98th minute and the run continued, just like in Dublin.

Team news

Atalanta: Marten de Roon’s absence will be keenly felt by Atalanta, the vice-captain and veteran of almost 350 games for the club. Last week he revealed that a thigh injury meant that ‘what should have been the biggest week of my career became the biggest nightmare. .” There were also questions about the availability of Sead Kolasinac, a key part of Gasperini’s defensive line, but he did take part in training. Rafael Toloi is also struggling with a thigh problem.

Possible Atalanta XI: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Ederson, Koopmeiners, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Pasalic; Scamacca

Bayer Leverkusen: Alonso had one major cause for concern in the days leading up to the final: would the transformative Florian Wirtz be fit enough to start after just 27 minutes of Bundesliga football in the final three games of the campaign? The answer was quite clear.

“Flo can play and is fit,” said the Leverkusen coach. “We’ll see what role he gets [Wednesday]. In any case, he is undoubtedly a key player for us and can make the difference in every match.”

That aside, it’s a fully fit squad for Alonso to choose from, with Amine Adli vying for a starting spot ahead of Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann. Matej Kovar retains his role as Leverkusen’s Cup goalkeeper.

Possible XI of Bayer Leverkusen: Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Wirtz; Adli

Prediction

Atalanta will give Leverkusen as tough an exam as anyone, but after everything the Bundesliga champions have achieved in the last ten months, how can you compete against them? CHOOSE: Atalanta 1, Bayer Leverkusen 2 (aet)