Football Tips: Wirtz the one in this 26/1 Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen Bet Builder

Our tipster's backing Leverkusen to grab their second trophy of the season.

Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen bet builder tips, europa league final, wednesday 22nd may 2024

Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen Betting Tips

Bayer Leverkusen to Win
Both Teams to Score
Florian Wirtz to Score or Assist
Atalanta to have 4 or more Shots on Target
Robert Andrich to commit 2 or more Fouls

Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen
Europa League Final at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin
TV: TNT Sports, Wednesday, 8pm

Bayer Leverkusen to Win

It’s no secret that Bayer Leverkusen are two games away from a historic undefeated treble, as every football account on social media reminds us. Xabi Alonso’s side have been flawless all season, although they have relied on a fair amount of last-gasp heroics to bail them out.

It is by no means a formality that they will beat Atalanta in Dublin as the second leg of their bid for a treble, with the Italian side taking out Liverpool, Sporting Lisbon, and Marseille en route to the final.

Leverkusen, however, seem to always find a way of winning difficult games and come into Wednesday’s final just four days after completing a historic invincible Bundesliga season.

There is obviously a risk that the enormity of their potential achievement will put unwanted pressure on, but they have shrugged it off thus far and should have enough to overcome an Atalanta side that sits fifth in Serie A behind Bologna.

Both Teams to Score

Leverkusen obviously come into the final unbeaten in Europe, but their run to the final has not been without its scares. In every single knockout round match, Alonso’s side have rescued results with extremely late comebacks. They almost blew a two-goal aggregate lead against Roma in the semi-final, going 0-2 down at home with 30 minutes to play in the second leg, only to rescue a draw with a last-gasp equaliser.

It was a similar story in their quarter-final second leg against West Ham, where David Moyes’ halved a 2-0 deficit and put Leverkusen under serious pressure before a late equaliser put the tie to bed.

It was their Last 16 clash with Qarabag where Leverkusen really displayed their miraculous powers of recovery. The German side trailed 2-1 going into stoppage time in both legs against the Azerbaijani club, rescuing a 2-2 draw in the away league and coming away with a 3-2 win in the home leg. These miraculous recoveries highlight Leverkusen’s resilience and mental strength, but they also highlight a defensive weakness that Atalanta could be poised to exploit.

The Italian side put three past Liverpool at Anfield and also put three past Marseille in their semi-final second leg. They are more than good enough to score and could cause Leverkusen another problem to solve before dreams of an undefeated treble become a reality.

Florian Wirtz to Score or Assist

Florian Wirtz, who was recently crowned Bundesliga player of the season, has enjoyed an incredible campaign for Alonso’s side. The German playmaker has been so good that some pundits have named him a candidate for the Ballon d’Or.

Wirtz has scored 11 and assisted 11 in 26 Bundesliga starts at a rate of almost one goal involvement per game, while he has scored four and assisted four in seven Europa League starts. He can crown an exceptional season by contributing to a Leverkusen victory at the Aviva.

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Atalanta to have 4 or more Shots on Target

As mentioned above, the fact Leverkusen have gone behind in four of their six knockout games highlights a defensive frailty around the Bundesliga champions, but so too does the number of shots on target they have faced. Alonso’s side have been on the receiving end of 26 shots on target in their six knockout games to date at a rate of over four per game, while they have faced an average of around ten shots per game.

Atalanta are averaging over 5.2 shots on target per game in the Europa League and could conceivably register four efforts on goal against a Leverkusen side that will understandably be nervous, considering the weight of their potential achievement.

Robert Andrich to commit 2 or more Fouls

A tough-tackling midfielder at the heart of this Leverkusen team, Robert Andrich will have a vital role to play if Leverkusen are to overcome Atalanta. The German midfielder has been excellent this season but he has not been shy of committing fouls.

Andrich averages 1.8 fouls per game in the Europa League for Leverkusen this season, the second-highest average at the club. He also averages the fourth-highest foul count of any Leverkusen player in the Bundesliga and is a very tempting price to commit at least two fouls against Atalanta.

Europa League Final Betting Tips

Bayer Leverkusen to Win
Both Teams to Score
Florian Wirtz to Score or Assist
Atalanta to have 4 or more Shots on Target
Robert Andrich to commit 2 or more Fouls

All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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