The final dreamed of by any footballer was experienced by Ademola Lookman, a Nigerian striker for Atalanta who scored a huge hat-trick to give his team the first European title in its history. The Italians caused a huge mess to Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, who lost their first game of the season and also the chance to celebrate a treble at the end of the season. The Germans arrived as favorites, but they chose the worst day to show the reverse of all the virtues they have displayed this season.
It was not a final of stellar clubs, but it was attractive because it put two of the most attractive teams on the continent in the fray. Supporters eager for protagonists, ‘outsiders’ hungry for days of glory. Almost everything had already been told about Leverkusen, their exploits and their records (51 unbeaten games so far). But Atalanta’s season is also worth analyzing. Cup runners-up, qualified for the next edition of the Champions League and now crowned in Europe for the first time… A fantastic title for a team that has not stopped growing in the eight years that Gian Piero Gasperini has been in charge, already a legend of the Dea. And we will have to see if this is his limit.
Atalanta
Musso; Zappacosta (Hateboer, 84 mins), Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac (Scalvini, 46 mins), Ruggeri (Tolói, 90+1 mins); Koopmeiners, Ederson; De Ketelaere (Pasalic, min.57), Lookman and Scamacca (El Bilal, min.84).
Bayer Leverkusen
Kovar; Stanisic (Boniface, min.46), Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapié; Frimpong (Tella, min.81), Xhaka, Palacios (Andrich, min.68), Grimaldo (Hlozek, min.68); Wirtz (Schick, min.81) and Adli.
Goals
1-0, min.12: Lookman. 2-0, min.26: Lookman. 3-0, min.76: Lookman.
Referee
István Kovács (RUM). He yellow carded Djimsiti (min.22), Scamacca (min.35), Zappacosta (min.60) and Koopmeiners (min.70) for Atalanta, and Wirtz (min.35), Tapsoba (min. 67) and Andrich (min.73) at Bayer Leverkusen.
Estadio
Aviva Stadium in Dublin, 47,135 spectators.
For the final, the veteran coach with gray hair prepared a volcanic and sticky recipe, with eleven warriors turned into limpets for the rivals. It was expected, but it still surprised Leverkusen. Illuminated throughout the course by an incandescent glow, Xabi’s team suddenly found themselves in darkness. Xhaka couldn’t make a pass, Palacios didn’t even try and Wirtz… The star of this Leverkusen team suffered in no man’s land without smelling a ball. What can we say about Grimaldo and Adli, the offensive references in Xabi’s approach. Everything a disaster.
On the other hand, things were summed up in high pressure, effort and a lot of pride. There was no ball that escaped Zappacosta, Ederson or Koopmeiners, the leaders in the center of the field. Always attentive to the cut, to profit from any theft. This is how the first goal came, with a ball divided on the right side that became a cross into the area that Lookman took advantage of, anticipating a slow Palacios, to beat Kovar.
The goal did justice to an overwhelming start. But Atalanta did not stop there. He continued with his noise, insisting with a plan that worked just as well as the day they beat Liverpool at Anfield. And Leverkusen still had no response. After half an hour, Lookman’s second came, with a shot that hit the post from the edge of the box. A great goal that put Bayer on the ropes.
On the German bench, Xabi did not hide his stress. Thousands of ideas seemed to run through his head. And doubts flew over the stadium: How long could the Italians maintain that devilish pace? Would they fall apart in the second half? Coming back has become a habit, not a very healthy one, for this Leverkusen team. But standing two goals down at half-time in a final seemed to force the fates too much.
While passing through the locker room, Xabi gave up his initial idea of playing without a center forward and brought on Boniface. But if he wanted to win the game first, he had to get Wirtz to appear, which did not happen. The announced collapse of Atalanta did not come either, even though the Bergamo team gladly handed over the ball at the restart. He continued to feel comfortable, firm in the pressure, now in a low block, and without granting chances to the rival. Waiting for some counterattack that would end up killing the game. There was barely one, but Lookman, bicycle, cutback and cross shot through, did not need more to sign the triplet.
With the victory, Gasperini became the oldest coach to win this title, surpassing Mendilibar, who achieved it last year. And the future Champions League champion, be it Dortmund or Real Madrid, already knows that a visit to the dentist awaits him, as Guardiola defined the duels against this team, when he meets them in the European Super Cup.
2024-05-22 20:54:04
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