At the Aviva Stadium in Dublin came to an end UEFA Europa League final for the 2023/24 season: Italian Atalanta confidently beat Bayer Leverkusen and won the first European Cup in its history. Sports is about the Russian's medal, the African's fiery performance and the end of the unbeaten streak of the German champions, who have remained undefeated since May 2023.
UEFA Europa League22 May 2024 • starts at 22:00Finished
AtalantaItaly3 : 0
Bayergamania
12 '• Aemola Lukman (Davide Dazakosta)
26' • Aemola Lukman76 '• Aemola Lukman (Dzhanluka Skamakk) all goals
The best season in Bayer's history One can tirelessly praise the German champions and national cup finalists. After all, Xabi Alonso’s boys, like the Spanish coach, deserve every compliment addressed to them. Not only did Bayer score 90 points in the last Bundesliga season and become the first club in the history of the tournament to finish the season unbeaten, but the Aspirin also set a record for the longest unbeaten streak since the formation of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) — the figure exceeded 50 meetings. Neither Bayern in the domestic arena, nor Qarabag, West Ham and Roma, with whom the Germans fought in the LE playoffs, could stop them.
Atalanta, in which Russian national team player Alexei Miranchuk plays, had a chance to spoil the Leverkusen fairy tale on Wednesday. Gian Piero Gasperini's team, which made it to the European Cup final for the first time, pleases fans in Serie A (fifth place, one match in reserve and a mere two points behind third-place Bologna), but in the Europa League it is even better this season. The club from Bergamo, in order to travel to the final, played out the playoffs with Sporting, Liverpool and Marseille.
- History of meetings:The teams crossed paths only once, in 2022. And just in the Europa League: in the 1/8 finals, Atalanta defeated Bayer twice.
Miranchuk’s ruthless “bergamaskies” were left in reserve. And Atalanta immediately went on the offensive: having taken the initiative from the first minutes, the Italians quickly pushed through Bayer and opened the scoring. While the German defense was waking up, they were punished in the 12th minute by Ademola Lookman, who was left alone in the penalty area and scored into an empty net.
Leverkusen's nightmare continued. In the 26th minute the score became 2:0, the Nigerian of English origin scored a double. Another mistake, a major mistake by Amin Adli, who could not find a partner with a pass — the ball reached Lukman, who moved to the radius of the penalty area and hit the far corner. Goalkeeper Matej Kovar is powerless.
Bayer came to its senses at the end of half an hour, finally creating a couple of dangerous chances. However, before the break, he didn’t upset the nominal hosts… They even managed to screw up a one-on-one game, “thanks” to Alejandro Grimaldo. And yet it was hard to believe that the German champion would give up so easily. After all, losing to Roma with a similar score, the pharmacists saved themselves, just as they saved themselves in the confrontation with Qarabag, when Patrik Schick scored twice in stoppage time.
The birth of an African star Alonso brought Bayer to its senses — the second 45 minutes started much better for the favorite. Pierrot Incapiere saved after a cross into an empty net, and Jeremie Frimpong missed the target from an excellent position… And how cutting: the Germans had difficulty crossing the center of the field and could not break through the Atalanta defense. Which, by the way, did not sit back at all in defense and went for the third ball. Which we saw in the 75th minute! Once again Lookman, the hero of the final, was in the spotlight: he again put the ball into the long-range with a powerful volley and knocked out both the unfortunate Bayer, who instantly turned back into Neverkusen, and the intrigue in the Dublin final.
A unique achievement of Lookman. However, this is not the first hat-trick in the final of the Europa League (or UEFA Cup, as the tournament was called until 2009): 49 years ago, Jupp Heynckes scored three for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
To win back three goals with such a toothless attack and the loss of leadership qualities from the main creators of the championship (have you even seen the best player of the Bundesliga, Florian Wirtz, on the field?) — not a single football fan would believe in such miracles. They couldn't even organize a «prestige goal.» Absolute declassification.
The funeral of the main opening of the season “Atalanta” is spectacular! It won the first European Cup in its history and destroyed the great streak of Bayer, which lost for the first time in 52 matches, plus it became the first Italian team in the 21st century to lift the second most important club trophy over its head.
And, of course, congratulations to Miranchuk . Brother Lesha, although he did not play in Dublin, became the first Russian since 2016 to win a European Cup tournament. That year, Denis Cheryshev won the Champions League as part of Real Madrid. We also note that the last time a Russian became the winner of the European Championship was ten years ago: in 2014, the same Cheryshev conquered the Europa League with the Spanish Sevilla.
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