JAKARTA - After recording 51 matches without defeat, Bayer Leverkusen will risk their unbeaten record in the Europa League final on Wednesday 22 May or Thursday morning WIB. This time Atalanta BC tried to stop the German League champion in Dublin.
The two teams will meet in Dublin, where Leverkusen will try to complete the second step of an extraordinary treble. Meanwhile, the opposing team from Italy will look for trophies in Europe's first scene for them.
Xabi Alonso's team was once nicknamed 'Neverkusen' after they finished only in the 2001-02 season as runners-up in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League, instead of recording trebles.
This season Bayer Leverkusen wants to prove that they deserve to get Treble in the most extraordinary way possible. They have won the Bundesliga title, and are just waiting for the acquisition in the Europa League against Atalanta and the DFB Pokal title against exceedslautern, a club from the second division of the German League, Saturday 25 May.
After being handled by Xabi Alonso, less than two years ago, Die Werkself has since become an unmatched club and moved up to the top of the table. They were able to beat all competitors in the Bundesliga. Victory over Augsburg last week completed an unbeaten season in 34 league games. Amazing!
After five times being Bundesliga runners-up, Leverkusen finally ended Bayern Munich's 11-year dominance and won the Meisterschale, with 90 points.
This team was transformed by Alonso into an attacking force that is fluent and even highly respected. Noted, they have scored 135 goals in all competitions this season. Meanwhile they conceded only 39. This club from Rhine can still beautified this season as the historic season for them, if they are able to beat Atalanta in the final later.
Leverkusen are looking for their second European trophy, after winning the 1988 UEFA Cup. It should be noted they managed to achieve it in the capital Ireland.
In addition to the extraordinary resilience to remain unbeaten, Die Werkself is known for being able to score a series of important goals in stoppage time.
They were 0-2 behind Qarabag in the last two legs of the last 16, but finally came on to get up and qualify, before surprising AS Roma in the semifinals this month. It happened when Josip Stanisic scored in the 97th minute to close their comeback.
Leverkusen also beat Conference League champions West Ham United in the quarter-finals, and after being able to advance through the group stage with a perfect record, six wins from six matches. They can now be the fourth team to lift the trophy unbeaten.
Xabi Alonso is alone blessed with a healthy team condition. He can choose free from the Bundesliga winning squad for this final, and there is a lot of competition for an important place in their squad.
Piero Hincapie and midfielder Granit Xhaka will return on Wednesday, while there are two options up front between, Victor Boniface or Patrick Schick. It could even be that Alonso fielded them using a 'false nine' strategy.
Star player Florian Wirtz, who recently recovered from a thigh injury, is likely to start the match after appearing as a substitute against Augsburg.
Meanwhile, Atalanta BC, has been trying to win its first major trophy since 1963. The team from Bergamo will try to beat unbeaten German League champions.
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But they came up with a less sweet record. Recently Atalanta lost in the Coppa Italia final to Juventus. However, La Dea is now traveling to the capital Ireland with the aim of ending their long search for a title, alongside veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini who is the first to lead his club to the final of European competition.
The highly respected coach prefers to use a three-back formation, but with Sead Kolasinac and Rafael Toloi in doubt due to thigh injury, his defense options are relatively limited.
The multipurpose midfielder Marten de Roon - who often fills the position behind - is ruled out due to injuries suffered in the Coppa Italia defeat to the Nerazzurri final. Luckily the young Italian international, Giorgio Scalvini, who recently returned from injury is likely to start.
Isak Hien and Heavy Djimsiti are expected to join Scalvini in Atalanta's back line, where goalkeeper Juan Musso will be the first choice in the final. He will replace Marco Carnesecchi who has appeared more frequently in Serie A this season.
Gasperini is expected to elect Davide Zappacosta and Matteo Ruggeri in wing position; Dutch duo Mitchel Bakker and Hans Hateboer will most likely sit on the bench, but Swedish winger Emil Holm is still absent due to a calf injury.
Near the end of the first year full of injuries in Italy, El-Belal Toure has now been on the La Dea striker's rotation list, but despite starting a 2-0 win over Lecce last Saturday, either Charles De Ketelaere or Ademola Lookman are expected to support Gianluca Scamacca upfront.
Unfortunately, it is still uncertain whether Teun Koopmeiners' sharp midfielder will be placed in the role of attacking midfielder or lowered to replace his Dutch compatriot, De Roon. Meanwhile, Mario Pasic and Aleksei Miranchuk will also be Gasperini's main consideration.
Player Composition Forecast
Bayer Leverkusen: Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Wirtz; Schick
Atalanta BC: Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Scalvini; Zappacosta, Pasalic, Ederson, Rugeri; Koopmeiners, De Ketelaere; Scamacca
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