Europa League Final Preview, Predictions, Where to Watch, Possible Line-ups and Betting Odds

There are a few days left until the UEFA Europa League final, with Italian giant Atalanta set to go head-to-head with German champion Bayer Leverkusen at the Dublin Arena on Wednesday, May 22. Xabi Alonso’s side has already set the European record for the longest unbeaten streak in top-flight football history, while Gian Piero Gasperini's side reached their first-ever European final. In this article, we have provided the UEFA Europa League Final match details, previews, predictions, betting options, and where to watch the match on TV channels. 

• Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen
• Date: May 22, 2024
• Stadium: Aviva Stadium (Dublin)
• Referee: István Kovács

Atalanta's performance in the 2023–23 Europa League has been excellent, having only suffered one loss. The Nerazzurri started their Europa League group stage match with an unbeaten run in Group D, winning four matches and playing two draws. Piero Gasperini's side defeated Sporting CP on their home soil in the second leg of the round of 16 with a crucial 2-1 victory, and the aggregate ended at 2-3. In the Europa League quarterfinals, Atalanta displayed a solid winning mentality as they defeated Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate after a magnificent 3-0 victory in the first leg. The Serie A side also won their semifinals comfortably, defeating Marseille 4-1 on aggregate. Gian Piero Gasperini will hope his side can continue their form to stop five-time runners-up Leverkusen and clinch the Europa League trophy for the first time in their history.

Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, in his statement ahead of the final, believes the UEFA Europa League final will be a historic event.

"The final will be a historic event. For teams like ours, it's truly incredible, but it's a good omen for everyone. It's a historic achievement for us; we also celebrated after Liverpool, after Sporting, rightly so. But we know very well that it's not over. Now we have several important games to play, and we will have time to think about Leverkusen."

Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini

Bayer Leverkusen has displayed excellent performances all season, stretching their unbeaten run in all competitions to 50 games without a defeat in their last match against Bochum. Xabi Alonso's side has already claimed their first Bundesliga trophy this season, and they are vying for a treble this season. Leverkusen topped Group H with 18 points, winning all their group-stage matches while recording 19 goals during the run and conceding three goals. In the round of 16, they beat Qarabag with an aggregate score of 5-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals, where they also defeated West Ham by a 3-1 aggregate. Leverkusen booked their spot in the Dublin UEFA Europa League final by defeating AS Roma in a dramatic first and second leg, with the aggregate ending at 4-2. 

Xabi Alonso Bayer Leverkusen, head coach, believes his side has shown a great attitude toward winning the treble this season. 

"We're happy to be in the final. We'll play two finals in a week as a result. We showed great character [in the semi-final against Roma]. I looked my players in the eye afterward and saw that they wanted more. We still have the chance to win three titles, and my boys deserve all three titles."

Xabi Alonso Bayer Leverkusen

• Bayer Lerkusen 0-1 Atalanta
• Atalanta 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Atalanta: Musso; De Roon, Hien, Gjimshiti; Zappacosta, Koopmeiners, Éderson, Ruggeri; De Ketelaere, Scamacca, Lookman

Leverkusen: Kovář; Frimpong, Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Xhaka, Palacios; Adli, Hofmann, Grimaldo; Hložek

We anticipate a close contest between the two sides, with both teams in great form from their previous matches. However, Leverkusen is considered the favorite to win the final based on the odds from bookmakers, but Atalanta has shown a great head-to-head record in their previous encounters, winning the two matches. Based on these, we predict a win or draw for Atalanta, with Bet365 offering 1.95 odds. You may also consider the following betting options:

Fans around the world can find their local UEFA Europa League TV broadcaster channel and streaming platform below.