(Football news) The Serie A team intends to play either Roma or Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, but they are also focused on reaching their first European final.
Gianluca Scamacca’s first goal in the 11th minute gave Atalanta the lead, but La Dea was unable to hold onto it as Marseille and Atalanta ended their first-ever meeting at Stade Velodrome in equal measure.
Chancel Mbemba pulled OM even shortly after the striker scored his sixth goal in as many games. Mbemba’s goal came from beyond the box and was his fourth goal of the season in the Europa League, more than any other defender in any of UEFA’s three club tournaments.
Though substitute Aleksei Miranchuk came close to snatching a precious winner in the final moments, the scoreline ultimately finished all square, setting up a high-stakes contest at the Gewiss Stadium.
Having now extended their unbeaten away run in Europe to 11 matches – including last month’s superb 3-0 win at Anfield – Atalanta return to home turf, where they have won 11 of their last 14 matches.
Indeed, throughout their history in the Europa League and its predecessor the UEFA Cup, the Nerazzurri have lost just two of 17 home games, winning 10 and keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s current side are not only thriving in Europe but have also booked a place in this year’s Coppa Italia final – they meet Juventus in Rome later this month – and are in contention to earn Champions League qualification via Serie A.
Following Monday’s 2-1 comeback win over relegated Salernitana, Atalanta sit fifth in the standings with four games remaining, and Italy’s top flight will have five seats at Europe’s top table next season.
The Lombardy club are already enjoying a golden era under their experienced head coach, but becoming the first Italian club to claim the Europa League would see ‘Gasp’ cement his status as an all-time great in Bergamo.
While Atalanta are yet to make it all the way to a continental final, their opponents boast a rich tradition in that respect, having been crowned champions of Europe in 1993 and subsequently lost the 1999, 2004 and 2018 UEFA Cup/Europa League deciders.
Furthermore, Marseille have won each of their last three semi-final ties in UEFA’s second-tier tournament, but they must now try to improve on their recent away record in order to progress past La Dea.
OM have won just one of six away games in Europe this season – losing at Villarreal and Benfica in the knockout phase alone – as well as picking up a dismal 11 points on the road in Ligue 1.
That is the joint-worst tally throughout the French top flight, yet they remain in the hunt for European qualification, lying five points behind sixth-placed Lens with one game in hand.
Due to their engagement in Europe, Jean-Louis Gasset’s team was spared any domestic action over the weekend, giving them a full week to be ready for the test that will take place in Italy.
Gasset has assisted the south coast team in overcoming their most recent problem since taking over as Marseille’s third manager of the year. His temporary contract may even come to an exciting conclusion later this month.
Securing a spot in the Champions League for the upcoming season would also come from winning the Europa League, but defeating Atalanta, Roma, or the newly crowned German champions is no easy feat.
Also read: Manchester United to make decision on Erik Ten Hag ahead of the final
