The first European Cup final of the 2023–2024 season will be decided on Wednesday, May 22. Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen will square off in the Europa League final in Dublin, Ireland.
Atalanta
After a rough start to the season, Gian Piero Gasperini’s team found great form in the second half, which guaranteed them a spot in the Champions League for the following season. Following their 2:0 away victory over Lecce on Saturday, Atalanta guaranteed themselves a spot in the Champions League this season by finishing no worse than fifth in Serie A.
In contrast, Dusan Vlahovic scored in the fourth minute of the Coppa Italia final, and Atalanta was unable to penetrate Juventus’ defense, leaving them disappointed in their first final of the season, losing 0:1 to Juventus.
In the quarterfinals of the Europa League, Atalanta upset everyone by defeating Liverpool, winning 3:0 on the road and losing 0:1 at home. They defeated Marseille 3:0 at home in Bergamo after drawing 1:1 in France in the semifinal match.
Bayer Leverkusen
Without a doubt, one of the top teams in the world this season is Bayer Leverkusen. In addition to winning the Bundesliga, “the Pharmacists” made history by being the first team to go undefeated during the entire season. Bayer defeated Augsburg 2:1 in the league final.
Additionally, Leverkusen created a record with their 51-match winning streak, which is the longest in the annals of European football history. A remarkable accomplishment under Xabi Alonso. In order to finish the season unbeaten, Bayer must win their next two finals. On May 25, they will play Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final following their match against Atalanta.
Bayer beat Roma 2:0 on the road and tied the score 2:2 at home in the Europa League semifinals, despite falling behind 0:2. They had already beaten Qarabag and West Ham.
Interesting match Details and head-to-head history Records
• This game marks the third meeting between Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta. They had previously faced each other in the 2021/22 Europa League Round of 16, with Atalanta winning both games (3:2 and 1:0).
• In the club’s existence, this will be Atalanta’s first-ever European Cup final.
• In the 1987–1988 season, Bayer Leverkusen won the UEFA Cup, their only previous European cup victory.