James Horncastle discusses a significant evening for Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final.

Alonso Urges Leverkusen to Make History in Europa League Final

Xabi Alonso, the manager of Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, has called on his team to “finish what we started” and make this season an historic one as they prepare to face Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final.

The highly-anticipated match will take place in Dublin on Wednesday and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Speaking about Atalanta’s journey to the final, TNT Sports Italian football expert James Horncastle described it as the “climax of Gian Piero Gasperini’s tenure” at the club. This will be Atalanta’s first-ever appearance in a European final, and Horncastle highlighted the incredible progress they have made under Gasperini’s leadership.

He stated, “It’s set up to be the great night in the club’s history. They’ve never been to a European final before and the closest they’ve been was in the late 80s when they reached a Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final as a team in the second division, which was remarkable in itself.”

Horncastle also emphasized the significance of this final for Gasperini, who has achieved numerous club records during his time at Atalanta. He said, “The only thing that’s been missing throughout Gasperini’s time at the club is a trophy, as they’ve been to three Coppa Italia finals and lost them all. This is their first European final, and it would be very special if they were able to crown everything they had done in the last seven years with a European trophy.”

Atalanta has already secured a top-five finish in Serie A this season, guaranteeing them a place in the UEFA Champions League. This relieves some of the pressure on them to win the Europa League final and secure a return to Europe’s elite cup competition. Horncastle highlighted the importance of Champions League qualification for Atalanta, as it has allowed them to constantly refresh their squad.

He explained, “The Champions League brings so much revenue for clubs and has been transformational for Atalanta to qualify for a fourth time under Gasperini. It’s allowed him to rebuild several teams, but fans remember trophies, and this continues their trajectory of being a really good cup team.”

Despite Leverkusen being the favorites to win the final, Horncastle believes that Atalanta has a chance due to Leverkusen’s defensive vulnerabilities. He stated, “Leverkusen are an historic team in what they’ve done this year, but they also give up chances, and Atalanta are a team that create and take chances.”

He also highlighted the attacking prowess of Atalanta’s players, stating, “They are not part of that old-fashioned Italian stereotype of a team that’s going to sit back on the counter and look to win a game 1-0. If they win a game 4-3, they’ll be happy.”

The UEFA Europa League final between Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta will kick off at 7pm and will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, and discovery+. Expert analysis will be provided by a team including Peter Crouch, Joe Cole, and Owen Hargreaves.