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The Goddess of Europe. For one night the Irish sky is tinged with black-blue, the colors of Atalanta who outclasses the German champions Bayer Leverkusen against predictions – 51 games in the season without ever losing, until the final – and wins the Europa League, first historic international trophy in its history. The absolute protagonist of the final in Dublin, Ademola Lookman: his hat-trick sends the Nerazzurri to heaven, superior in every duel, and in every area of the pitch, against the Germans, fresh from a record streak of matches without defeats. The 3-0 confirms Gasperini’s team as the most “European” team in terms of intensity and mentality – after the feat of eliminating Liverpool – and opens up to Italy the possibility of a sixth team in the Champions League (Roma, but only if Atalanta will finish fifth in the championship).
On the magical night in Dublin, Gian Piero Gasperini’s gamble paid off when faced with the battleship Bayer, rulers of the Bundesliga, he decided to rebel against the role of sacrificial victim, proposing a hyper-offensive formation. Yet another winning intuition from the coach from Grugliasco, who thus becomes – thanks to this victory, number 200 on the Atalanta bench – the most mature coach to win a UEFA cup. The best way to get rid of that label of “zero qualifications” given to him by his detractors. And also to end with a bang – if the rumors of his imminent farewell prove true – his golden cycle in Bergamo. Precisely to make room for the 27-year-old Nigerian international, Gasp relegated Teun Koopmeiners to the midfield line, deploying an attacking trident, completed by Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere. And his dominance, especially in the first half, proves him right. Not only up front, but also in defence, where Isak Hien cancels out Amine Adli and above all Berat Djimsiti, captain of the evening due to the absence of Marten de Roon, cancels out the feared Florian Wirtz.
Europa League, Atalanta’s first historic triumph
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The first half is thus an Atalanta monologue, to the delirious joy of its eight thousand fans, who arrived in Dublin, even via unlikely stopovers (from Tallinn to Tenerife), for the appointment with history, the first European final in 117 years of history . From the first minutes, Atalanta’s fearlessness forces Bayer – perhaps in psychological difficulty also due to their role as very favorites – to play in apnea. All the most dangerous actions pass through the feet of Lookman, Matteo Ruggeri’s opening inspiration: on the cross from the Bergamo winger, Scamacca fails to find the header. 12′ pass and Atalanta runs ahead: this time the action develops on the right, Koopmeiners triggers Davide Zappacosta, on his center Lookman anticipates Exequiel Palacios. Bayer appears dazed, even more than by the disadvantage, by the furious pace of the Orobics, asphyxiating in pressing to recover the ball. The Germans’ reaction was a weak shot from Josip Stanisic, which Juan Musso blocked comfortably.
But after a new attempt from Scamacca, still imprecise, Lookman takes care of giving substance to his team’s superiority. On Matej Kovar’s clearance, Amine Adli’s improvident back pass, Lookman takes the ball in the midfield, tunnels to Granit Bayer is increasingly helpless, but Charles De Keteleare, after having jumped Piero Hincapie like a skittle, wastes an excellent opportunity. And upon returning to the changing rooms, the only real chance for Xabi Alonso’s boys was a left-footed shot just wide by Granit Xhaka. The inertia of the final seems to change in the second half, Bayer takes the lead, Atalanta is relegated. Gasperini is cautious, replacing De Ketelaere with Mario Pasalic. But beyond an oversized shot from Jeremie Frimpong, the German champions did not produce. Unlike Lookman, who extracts the third gem of the evening from his hat. A diagonal shot of rare beauty, which seals the first Italian victory ever in the Europa League. It’s a big celebration, on the pitch in Dublin and at the same time in Bergamo.
