Everything you need to know about the Europa League final

It's final time!

The final of the Europa League, the first of three European competitions, takes place on 22 May. Here's our quick guide to enjoying the match to the full.

Who's playing?

Italy's Atalanta take on Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in a match between the Serie A's fifth-placed team and the Bundesliga champions.

Where are they playing?

The Europa League final will be played at Dublin's 51,711-capacity Aviva Stadium, according to the stadium's website. The match will start at 21:00 CET.

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Who's the referee?

Romania's István Kovács will referee the match "in his second UEFA club competition final as a referee, having also taken charge of the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League showpiece between Roma and Feyenoord in Tirana," per UEFA.

Who's the favourite?

For many, Bayer Leverkusen are the favourites to win the second European trophy in their history, as they go into the match unbeaten in Germany and Europe.

Pre-final run: Atalanta

Atalanta won Group D of the Europa League, with four wins and two draws, before beating Sporting CP, Liverpool and Olympique de Marseille to reach the final, per Transfermarkt.

Pre-final run: Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen won all their matches in Group H, scoring 19 goals and conceding just 3, according to Transfermarkt. The Germans then eliminated Qarabag FK, West Ham and AS Roma to qualify for the final match against Atalanta.

Players to watch: Atalanta

Atalanta lost the Coppa Italia final to Juventus, but will go into the final with confidence after clinching a Champions League place in Serie A, thanks to a goal from Charles De Ketelaere. The Belgian is in good form and has scored three goals in his last two Serie A games, according to Transfermarkt. Along with Gianluca Scamacca (18 goals), he should wreak havoc on the Leverkusen defence.

Players to watch: Leverkusen

Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen are a well-oiled machine this season, winning the Bundesliga by 17 points from VfB Stuttgart. Florian Wirtz has scored 18 goals and provided 20 assists in all competitions, and is the player who can bring the magic when it matters most. Atlanta will also have to watch striker Victor Boniface, Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong.

Our prediction

At Sports Unlimited News, we love an underdog, and we think Atalanta will achieve the impossible by becoming the first team to beat Leverkusen this season. It wouldn't be the first miracle in which Gian Piero Gasperini has played a part.

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