2023/24 Europa League quarter-finals, semi-finals and final

[Juliusz]

Second legs attendances

Leverkusen - Roma 30,210
Atalanta - Marseille 14,994

[matt]

Atalanta - OM (tonight)
Atalanta - Roma (Sunday)
Atalanta - Juventus (Wednesday in Rome)

Atalanta every three days have a decisive game. First the EL semifinal, then a direct clash for a Champions League spot against Roma, in which they have to avoid a loss, to end with the Italian cup final against Juve.

They are playing every 3-4 days since a while, tiredness will play a role sooner or later. The risk to finish the season empty-handed is not low.

Two finals for them, both on Wednesday (May 15th and 22th), I hope Atalanta can win at least one of them, Juve look easier, but they have much more time to prepare for this game.
Juventus are facing Salernitana at home on Sunday, basically a training session.

[mspm89]

I find it weird that the EL final is the first one played, instead of the ECL one. It would make more sense, since the CL final (the most prestigious one) is always the last.

I agree with the sentiment.

BTW, I'm fine with either team winning it. But I lean towards Atalanta now for 2 reasons: more history to be made (Leverkusen already won this trophy's predecessor, the UEFA Cup), and there's only so much Alonso asslicking one can take from the press and the public.

[rrey1]

Alonso was probably "saving" players for the next 4 games, but also for Euro 2024. The number of games top teams play these days is insane.
The last time a Bundesliga manager was "saving" players (Pep in 2014 after Bayern won Bundesliga in March), Germany won the World Cup.

[Firnen]

Leverkusen did it again, absolute bonkers

[bugylibicska]

Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen 4.20 3.80 1.80

[greenbay]

There was a lot of mockery about the Bundesliga in the English papers when Harry Kane signed with Bayern. Farmers League and so on.

Now that Farmers League was minutes away from an all-German CL in Wembley. With Leverkusen being huge favorites on lifting the EL trophy.

While the Premier League were almost wiped out after the quarter finals. With now some Greek team doing them the ultimate favor.

Schadenfreude we call this in Germany. And all folks in Germany are now having a good laugh. Well that‘s except for some English Player currently employed by the Farmers League ex-Champions. Who would have thought that After 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles it would be up to Harry Kane to finally end the streak? FC Bayern being stuck with no trophy at all, not even the Mickey-Mouse-Super-Cup, for the first time since almost the stone age…

[BurningStorm]

Hoping for a Dortmund and Leverkusen win in the finals, I have German friends and former prominent Celtic players have history with both teams so I have a wee soft spot for them. Hopefully that's Germany's glory for the year tho and Scotland put them in their place in June hoping for an Olympiakos win in the conference league cause I don't like the top 5 leagues winning it all

Thanks. I'd probably also root for the Scottish team the next time they have a finalist, unless the opponent is German again.

A Polish source said that the UEFA wanted to nominate Marcziniak for the Germany - Scotland game and they could reconsider it after what happened in Madrid, but with him it would look good for you guys.

We seem to be all living in Leverkusen's storybook World.

If they avoid defeat in their next game, they'll be 50 games undefeated!

btw: they play Bochum (away) next. That's the place where they lost their last official football game! On MD34 of the previous season.

[ultra2013]

Matches before the UEFA Cup Final

Leverkusen schedule:
5/12 Bochum (A)
5/18 Augsburg (H)
5/22 Atalanta (N)

Atalanta schedule:
5/12 Roma (H)
5/15 Juventus (N)
5/19 Lecce (A)
5/22 Leverkusen (N)

Leverkusen will have one game less before the final and almost a whole week to rest would be important advantage. If Atalanta loses vs Roma probably they can send U20 team to Lecce, though and rest well. If Leverkusen loses the invictus status vs Bochum they will surely toss the Augsburg game and have 10 days to prepare the Final.

[amenina]

Referee teams for 2024 UEFA club competition finals announced

https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02 ... announced/

2024 UEFA Europa League Final refereeing team

Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
Assistants: Vasile Florin Marinescu and Mihai Ovidiu Artene (both Romania)
4th Official: Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia)
Reserve AR: Branislav Hancko (Slovakia)
VAR: Pol van Boekel (Netherlands)
Assistant VAR: Catalin Popa (Romania)
VAR Support: Rob Dieperink (Netherlands)