Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta will duke it out for the Europa League in the Final on Wednesday evening in Dublin.
Leverkusen are one-third of their way to an historic ‘Invincible treble’, and they completed an unbeaten Bundesliga campaign with a 2-1 win over Augsburg.
51 matches and counting undefeated in all competitions is astonishing, and they have already surpassed Benfica’s long-standing tally of 49.
Atalanta, on the other hand, brushed themselves off after a Coppa Italia Final defeat to Juventus last week to see off Lecce 2-0 and all but seal a spot in the Champions League for next term.
Finals have been few and far between for Atalanta over the years, but they will hope there is a silver lining this week.
Meanwhile, the man in the middle for this clash will be Istvan Kovacs, and the Romanian will be taking charge of his second European final in three years after previously officiating the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League showpiece in 2022.
There are many fascinating angles to this intriguing clash, and I have delved into the betting markets and plucked out a couple of tips for your perusal ahead of kick-off.
Bayer Leverkusen to shine on the big stage
A date with destiny for Leverkusen was secured when they claimed a 4-2 aggregate win over Roma in the previous round, and in the second leg, they showed their customary grit to rally from 2-0 down to clinch a 2-2 draw.
Leverkusen have been indomitable on all fronts, and they have never looked flustered or flappable under Xabi Alonso.
They continue to impress, and while Atalanta will have been smarting from their Coppa Italia Final loss, they took Liverpool to task at Anfield in the quarter-finals, and they won’t roll out the red carpet.
Leverkusen have gone one better than last term when they were knocked out by Roma in the last four, and this is the first time since the Round of 16 in the 2021/22 campaign they will be facing Atalanta, and on that occasion, they were outplayed across both legs.
Although there has been concern over the fitness of Florian Wirtz, he played 30 minutes of the win over Augsburg, and he could spell danger for Atalanta.
I like the sound of Leverkusen to win both halves and they are trading at an enticing 9/2 with Paddy Power to achieve that.
Victor Boniface to steer Leverkusen to victory
It has been an exceptional debut season at Leverkusen for Victor Boniface, and he has lit up the Bundesliga.
He’s also acquitted himself on the continent, firing home five goals, and he will be hoping to add to that tally against Atalanta.
The Nigerian hitman has been in a purple patch, scoring in all his last three competitive outings, and he should get ample opportunities in the Final.
Although I would have preferred to have seen a special plugged for Boniface to score from the penalty spot, I have deviated.
For my second pick, I’ve gone with Boniface to score with a header, and he can be backed at an intriguing 15/2 with bet365 should you wish to pursue that price.
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