Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta will meet in the grand final of the Europa League

With a goal in the 97th minute by Croatian Josip Stanisic, Bayer Leverkusen reached the Europa League final this Thursday after drawing 2-2 at home against Roma, and made good the 0-2 victory they had obtained in the Going.

Two penalties, one in the 43rd minute and another in the 66th minute and both converted by the Argentine Leandro Paredes, complicated the tie for Leverkusen, who, despite having been the dominant team, saw the advantage of the first leg disappear.

However, in the 83rd minute Leverkusen achieved the discount that already gave them the classification thanks to an own goal by Mancini after a corner kick taken from the right by Jeremie Frimpong. In stoppage time, in the 97th minute, Josip Stasinic scored the tying goal with which Leverkusen not only made it to the final, but also extended its unbeaten streak in all competitions to 49 games.

Atalanta qualified for the Europa League final after dominating Marseille (3-0) this Thursday in the second leg of their semifinal, a week after the 1-1 draw in the first leg in France.

The Bergamo team, fifth in Serie A, thus got its ticket for the final of the second European tournament, on May 22 in Dublin. It will be the first final in the history of Atalanta in one of the UEFA club competitions.

Until now, his best performance in a European tournament was the semifinals he had reached in 1988 in the now defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup. They only have one important title on their record, the 1963 Italian Cup. That could change in the coming days, since even before the Europa League final, Atalanta will play another final on Wednesday of next week, the Cup of Italy, against Juventus.

The Nigerian Ademola Lookman (30th minute) and Matteo Ruggeri (52nd) managed to get the game back on track for the Italian team. Malian El Bilal Touré (90+4) already made it 3-0 in final stoppage time, when Marseille was resigned. Olympique de Marseille, the only French team to have been European champion (1993), suffers great disappointm
ent. He is only ninth in Ligue 1 and was confident of triumphing in the Europa League to save his season and even be able to play in the next Champions League.

The setback in Italy abruptly awakens him from his sleep and forces him to reflect deeply after a chaotic and very disappointing season.
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SPORTS WITH EFE AND AFP