Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atalanta prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for Europa League final 2024

Bayer Leverkusen have just two trophies remaining to complete their unprecedented invincible campaign, with the first one on Wednesday as they clash with Atalanta for the Europa League final in Dublin.

Xabi Alonso has already led the club to the completion of an unbeaten Bundesliga campaign, one third of the fully unbeaten campaign winning 28 games and drawing six across a legendary season domestically. After the Europa League title match, Die Werkself will then contest the DFB-Pokal final on Saturday, where they hope to have an historic fully unbeaten season on the line.

In order to play for that never-before-seen label, Leverkusen must first pass an extremely difficult test in a European title match. Atalanta shocked Premier League giants Liverpool earlier in this competition, and finished the Serie A season hot by recording five straight victories to secure a Champions League place next year.

Gian Piero Gasperini has been known as a giant killer in his long and storied career as Atalanta manager, but has not yet won a single trophy in eight years at the helm. Last week Atalanta fell short of the Coppa Italia thanks to a 1-0 defeat to Juventus, their third runner-up finish under Gasperini, and will be starving for some silverware to earmark their last decade of significant growth.

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Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atalanta prediction, odds

• Moneyline lean: Bayer Leverkusen (-125)
• Score prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Atalanta

Atalanta lacked a goal scoring threat in the Coppa Italia final thanks to the suspension of talismanic striker Gianluca Scamacca, but with the former West Ham frontman back in the lineup, they will pose a significant threat to the Bayer Leverkusen back line.

Still, it would be foolish at this stage to count the German side out, even if they fall behind in the first half, as they have erased countless deficits already this season, wrestling their unbeaten campaign back from a seemingly doomed fate on multiple occasions.

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atalanta match facts

• Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024
• Kickoff time: 8 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
• Location: Aviva Stadium (Dublin, Ireland)
• Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROM), VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
• Last meeting: Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Atalanta (Mar. 17, 2022 | Europa League — R16, 2L)

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atalanta best bet

• Pick: Bayer Leverkusen to win the 2nd half & over 1.5 goals
• Odds: +260 (BetMGM)

Nobody in Europe has been better in the second half of matches than Bayer Leverkusen this season, where Xabi Alonso has willed his side to wrestle back countless results from certain defeat. Since the start of 2024 alone, Die Werkself have scored an incredible 16 goals inside the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time in matches where they have secured results, either from a losing or level position.

Meanwhile, Atalanta are polar opposites to their Europa League final opposition. Since the start of February, Atalanta were the second-best team in Serie A through the first 45 minutes, with a +11 goal differential, just one behind title winners Inter. Atalanta had won the first half in five of their last eight matches before their Coppa Italia defeat, but even in that match where they coughed up the only goal inside four minutes, they out-shot Juve 6-5 through the first half despite missing Gianluca Scamacca.

You can get Bayer Leverkusen to win from behind at +850, which is a really great longshot punt, and you can get Lead-Lose run of play at +625 too. Still, for a best bet, you can't do much better than the listed combo play.

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atalanta prop bet

• Pick: Florian Wirtz to score or assist a goal
• Odds: +120 (FanDuel)

Amidst a season chock full of top performers, nobody has starred more consistently than Bayer Leverkusen's playmaker Florian Wirtz, who has positioned himself to not only be a potential seasonal MVP candidate for one of the greatest European campaigns in recent memory, but a possible Golden Ball winner at this summer's European Championships.

Still just 21 years old, Wirtz was utterly dominant throughout the Bundesliga season, and even when starting games on the bench, he was able to come on as a substitute and swing a match in his side's favour.

Wirtz earned significant time off through the end of the season, not starting any of the club's final five Bundesliga matches, but he still managed to log six goals and five assists just since the start of February. He's had less influence in European play, with just two goal contributions in the knockout stage, but with plenty of rest, he should be firing on all cylinders, especially against an Atalanta side who haven't conceded goals to opposing strikers, but instead were prone to the goal scoring threat of wingers and attacking midfielders.

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atalanta live stream, TV channel

The Europa League final will be broadcast in the United States on CBS Sports Network, which can be found streaming on Fubo, who are offering a free trial for new users. The match will also be streamed in English on Paramount+, as has every single Champions League and Europa League match this entire season where new users can also sign up to a free trial.

There is a Spanish-language broadcast available on both TUDN and UniMas, which can also be found streaming on Fubo.

In Canada, the match can be found on the home for UEFA club competitions, DAZN. In the UK, the match will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, with streaming available on their dedicated platform discovery+.