On Wednesday evening, Bayer Leverkusen were humbled 3-0 by Atalanta in the Europa League final. The defeat marked the end of Die Werkself’s 51-game unbeaten run, turning the once-invincible team into mere shadows on the big stage.
Leverkusen off the pace
From the first whistle, Atalanta maintained a relentless press, while Leverkusen seemed far off the pace. The German side struggled with heavy touches and loose passes, preventing them from gaining any foothold in the tie. Lacking a focal point up front, they had no option to play long balls when under pressure.
Tactical masterclass and admission
Atalanta’s tactical masterclass under Gasperini was clear, while Leverkusen’s manager Xabi Alonso admitted his side was outplayed:
“Yes, we have to analyse after the game. Maybe something wasn’t right. There were a lot of one-on-one situations. Maybe we made too many small passes in the last phase. Today, we should have played a few long balls.”
“But that’s not our way. We don’t want to change our system. We always try to play with our game plan, but today that didn’t work. We had some problems.”
Whether it was the starting XI or the game plan itself – or a combination of both – Die Werkself never appeared to be in the game.
Atalanta’s dominance
In midfield, Éderson dictated the pace, while former Charlton Athletic winger Ademola Lookman continuously tormented the Leverkusen rearguard. Defensively, Atalanta offered the German champions very little, becoming just the second team this season to prevent Alonso’s side from scoring.
In the end, Atalanta became deserved champions – a fairytale story for the ages. Leverkusen now has a chance to redeem themselves and claim the domestic double on Saturday when they face Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final.
