Marten de Roon believes 'Invincible' Leverkusen can lose

Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon, despite being sidelined by injury, believes his team can shock Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final and break their unbeaten streak on Wednesday. Leverkusen, having clinched their first-ever Bundesliga title, are eyeing a historic treble, remaining undefeated in 51 matches this season.

Atalanta, too, have had an impressive run, reaching their first European final, securing a spot in next season’s Champions League, and narrowly missing out on the Coppa Italia against Juventus.

Just one more day ⏳

A domani, @EuropaLeague ?#AtalantaBayer04 #UEL #GoAtalantaGo ⚫️? pic.twitter.com/QdHECjAYwZ
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) May 21, 2024

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“They’ve had a flawless season so far. I won’t say they have weaknesses, but every team can be beaten,” De Roon said on Tuesday. “They seem invincible, but maybe we can change that.”

Under Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta has evolved from a small provincial club overshadowed by AC Milan and Inter Milan into a regular contender in European competitions. However, they are still seeking their first trophy in 61 years.

“The main thing is to win the game. Whether I play or not doesn’t matter; what matters is lifting the trophy,” De Roon added. “We’ll give everything to achieve that.”

The match will kick off at 21:00 CET.

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso has declined offers from former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich, choosing to stay with the German champions next season. Gasperini praised Alonso’s loyalty, acknowledging that many top clubs sought him after Leverkusen’s stellar season.

“What Xabi Alonso has done is wonderful. He had offers from several big clubs, but he stayed loyal to the club that believed in him,” Gasperini said.

? #Alonso: "The stadium here is great. There will be a great atmosphere. We know about the huge support coming here from Leverkusen, we felt that on Saturday too. We have a clear plan for tomorrow and will give everything for our fans." #ATAB04 | #Bayer04 #UELfinal… pic.twitter.com/yGKOjolNvQ
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) May 21, 2024

Atalanta’s path to the final included remarkable victories against Liverpool in the quarter-finals and Marseille in the semi-finals. Gasperini hopes these achievements will boost his players’ confidence to end Leverkusen’s unbeaten run.

“We know we’re up against a great team. They are undefeated and have had an amazing season,” said the 66-year-old coach. “But our journey has been impressive too, beating strong teams to reach the final. We believe in ourselves.”