Gary Connaughton reporting from the Aviva Stadium
On a night where two of Europe's rising clubs attempted to make history, Dublin would play a starring role as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the 2023/24 Europa League final.
It was a game that the German club were expected to win, coming into the fixture on a 51-game unbeaten run and seeking to go the entire season undefeated in all competitions.
However, Atalanta would flip that script. Having already defeated the likes of Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon en route to the final, they would produce yet another memorable performance to claim their first major honour in over 60 years.
It was an excellent game of football, one which boasted a wonderful atmosphere both in the Aviva stadium and around the city of Dublin.
READ HERE: When Dublin 4 Became Portugal For The 2011 Europa League Final
Dublin plays a starring role in the 2023/24 Europa League final
The Garda presence in Ireland's capital over the last couple of days had been extreme. It was impossible to walk through the city centre without seeing a large number of uniformed officers. Of course, there were unlikely to take any chances with an event of this scale.
There was an attempt to keep the sets of two sets of supporters apart prior to the game, with respective fan zones being set up at opposite sides of the city.
The fans were then walked to the ground by Gardaí, with some groups receiving more attention than others.
This reporter witnessed a group of Bayer Leverkusen ultras being shepherded to Lansdowne Road by a huge number of heavily equipped Gardaí, with security asking bystanders not to film this particular set of fans. One or two of the ultras did not take kindly to members of the public who seemingly ignored this request.
While there were clearly some worries about the pre-match festivities, it was a credit to both the Irish authorities and supporters that everything seemingly went off without a hitch.
That was not a given considering how other recent UEFA finals have gone.
22 May 2024; Members of An Garda Síochána in attendance during the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta BC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the Dublin Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The organisation in the stadium itself was certainly quite different to your regular fixture at the Aviva Stadium.
The security checks outside the ground were far more stringent than we are used to seeing for Ireland internationals. One positive was the signage available to match goers, which clearly indicated the correct route for them to take in order to access their respective areas of the stadium.
As for the atmosphere inside the ground, it was electric from over an hour before kick-off. Ireland supporters are no slouches in this area, especially when it comes to the biggest fixtures. In saying that, things were certainly taken up a notch or two by both the Leverkusen and Atalanta fans.
Even the opening ceremony, usually notoriously boring affairs, was a swift and entertaining spectacle for those inside the stadium.
That continued once the game itself began. The larger German contingent made most of the noise before kick-off, but their Italian counterparts more than played their part.
In saying that, that dynamic quickly began to shift. Atalanta were the team in ascendancy in the opening period of the game, going on take a deserved lead via Ademola Lookman in the 12th minute.
𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡! ⚫️🔵
Ademola Lookman with the goal!#UELfinal | #UEL pic.twitter.com/9CIsj8MmN0— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) May 22, 2024
Bayer Leverkusen entered this fixture on a scarcely believable 51-game unbeaten run, having gone undefeated in all competitions up to that point. That streak included quite a few dramatic late goals, with their ability to produce comebacks in games having become an important trait in this team.
When Lookman doubled his side's lead in the 26th minute, it quickly became apparent that they might have to call upon them once again this evening.
𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍! ⚫️🔵
It's 2-0 and Atalanta are in dreamland here!
What a goal that is!#UELfinal | #UEL pic.twitter.com/Se2en2CUzT— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) May 22, 2024
Leverkusen struggled to create many scoring chances of their own. In fact, Alejandro Grimaldo's scuffed attempt at a chip in the 35th minute was their only opportunity of note.
Xabi Alonso has some genuine Irish links, having spent a summer learning English in Kells during his teenage years. He was asked about those connections during yesterday's pre-match press conference, admitting that he looked back on them fondly. He was no doubt hoping to craft another much loved Irish memory this evening.
Unfortunately, he is unlikely to hold particular visit to the country in such high esteem.
The second half was much of the same story. Atalanta were a bit more defensive in their approach, understandably so considering their two-goal lead. They asked Leverkusen to break them down, something they never seemed all that likely to do.
Florian Wirtz was essentially anonymous throughout the game, and while Jeremie Frimpong was the bright spark in the Leverkusen side, even he never really troubled the Serie A side's defence.
When Ademola Lookman completed his hat-trick 15 minutes from full-time, the result was finally put beyond any doubt.
𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗠𝗔𝗡!
𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗠𝗔𝗡!!
𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗠𝗔𝗡!!!
A hat-trick in a European final and what a way to do it!
3-0 Atalanta and it looks like the trophy is Bergamo-bound! ⚫️🔵#UELfinal | #UEL pic.twitter.com/hzbaexfwly— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) May 22, 2024
This was a thoroughly deserved victory for Gian Piero Gasperini's side, who ensured that Bayer Leverkusen's quest for an undefeated season would fall at the penultimate hurdle.
Atalanta's last major honour came all the way back in 1963, the year they won their first and only Coppa Italia. Since then, the club spent long periods bouncing between the top two tiers of Italian football.
They have come on in leaps and bounds over the last decade or so, regularly finishing in the top four of Serie A and impressing in European competition. Tonight's victory is the completion of that project, an honour they are more than deserving of after dismantling one of the best teams in European football.
As for Bayer Leverkusen, they will now have to dust themselves down ahead of the DFB-Pokal final against Kaiserslautern this weekend. They will also have at least one more season of the Xabi Alonso era to look forward to, and you would imagine that the majority of their best players will follow his lead in sticking around this summer.
From an Irish perspective, this final can only be considered as a major success. From the policing, to the organisation around the stadium, to the atmosphere in the ground itself, everything went brilliantly.
With the Aviva Stadium set to play a significant role in the hosting of Euro 2028, UEFA will surely have been pleased with what they saw this evening.
It was refreshing to see Dublin and the home of Irish football be positively represented on the global stage. Long may it continue.
SEE ALSO: Bayer Leverkusen Are Definitely Making The Most Of Dublin Trip For Europa League Final
