Bayer without centre-forward. Line-ups for the Europa League final
Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
Today at 21:00 Central European Time, the final match of the 2023/24 Europa League season between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen will take place in Dublin, Ireland.
As usual, the starting lineups of both teams were announced an hour before the match.
Bayer's head coach, Xabi Alonso, surprised many by not including any of the team's nominal central strikers in the starting lineup. Both Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick are on the bench, with Amine Adli once again taking up the forward position.
Additionally, it is notable that the second-choice goalkeeper, Matěj Kovář, who has featured in 11 Europa League matches, will start in goal for Leverkusen, whereas Lukas Hradecky is the primary goalkeeper in the Bundesliga.
Atalanta's head coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, did not spring any surprises with his starting lineup.
Atalanta's Starting line-up
- Musso – Djimsiti, Hien, Kolašinac – Zappacosta, Éderson, Koopmeiners, Ruggeri – De Ketelaere, Scamacca, Lookman
Bayer's Starting line-up
- Kovář – Tapsoba, Tah, Stanišić – Frimpong, Xhaka, Palacios, Hincapié – Wirtz, Adli, Grimaldo
It's worth noting that Bayer has not lost any of their 51 matches this season and has won the Bundesliga for the first time in their history. For Atalanta, this marks their first-ever appearance in a European cup final.
