Greetings to Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta. To those who don’t follow football and frequently commute via Ballsbridge, there must have been a lingering question as to why there was an influx of enthusiastic German and Italian individuals causing delays. Perhaps hesitation from peeking at the sports section caused them to miss out on an exciting event – Dublin was the selected location for the 2024 Europa League final. The stadium received commendation for its presentation.
A display of unbiased sentiment came from Richard Dunne on Virgin Media who spoke highly of Dublin’s potential for hosting grand events. The ironic downside of Virgin’s transmission was their inability to provide a taxi from their studios to the Aviva Stadium so that Tommy, Richard and Brian Kerr could be present at the field for the game. Despite the short distance, they weren’t present on the ground. Brian, though not convincing, suggested their current situation was fine.
TNT had a justified reason for not sending Peter Crouch and Joe Cole, who were over in England, but they managed to send part of their crew to Dublin, including Ally McCoist who seemed very satisfied with the buzzing atmosphere at Temple Bar.
Before the game, the final was compared to a Hagler vs Hearns boxing match, setting expectations high, with assurances of goals and thrilling moments. Concerns, however, remained about the match ending in penalties after a monotonous 0-0 draw, or even worse, resulting in an uneventful game reminiscent of the Porto vs Braga final in Dublin in 2011.
In consideration of their amazing season, Leverkusen, having an unbeaten run of 51 matches, were tipped as the favourites. Apparently, their coach Xabi Alonso’s stint in Meath positively influenced him. As Brian stated, “Kells toughened him up”.
Prior to the match, Ann-Marie Keegan from Virgin had a brief conversation with John “Interim” O’Shea. Despite her persistent attempts, she was unable to coax him into commenting on the likelihood of him assuming the full-time managerial role. Tommy noted that extracting any information from him proved to be a difficult task. However, the sight of him in his lavish attire carrying the Europa League trophy onto the field revealed a man who is familiar with bearing trophies, suggesting he did appear capable of the role.
Xabi, whose impressive guidance has transformed Leverkusen into a formidable team, would make a worthy contender for the role. However, the possibility of Jürgen Klopp taking the reins at Old Trafford for the forthcoming season seems more probable.
Xabi’s side has performed remarkably this season, with Granit Xhaka being a vital cog since his transfer last summer. Adam Summerton of TNT rightly pointed out that Xhaka was operating with the reliability of a Swiss timepiece. Suddenly, he passed to a teammate in an Atalanta jersey, instantly escalating the intensity of the game.
It’s worth noting how those players discarded from English football often left their former clubs with regrets once they ventured to Europe – Harry Kane being one example, although that’s said in jest. Everton, Fulham and Leicester might want to look away now, as Ademola Lookman scored double, making it 2-0. Ally’s one-word review? “Magical”.
As half-time approached, TNT took the opportunity to mention that the Discovery+ channel would be broadcasting 3,800 hours of live Olympic Games coverage this summer, setting the stage for a summer spent in front of the TV. Prioritising between a sun tan and the abundance of sporting excitement is a tough call. Nonetheless, the immediate focus rested on the Europa League finals.
Could Lookman’s night improve further? Without doubt. He scored three goals, simply incredible. Ally’s reaction was, “This. Is. Exceptional.” Leverkusen fell in a similar way to Hearns when he faced Hagler, their unstoppable streak shattered. Xabi just didn’t get roughened up enough by Kells. As for Lookman? He was, without a doubt, the standout star of the evening, akin to the wonderful Marvin.