From the look of things ahead of the semi finals, the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League winner is likely to be Bayer Leverkusen, and it’s pretty obvious why everyone is saying that, isn’t it?
1. Bayer Leverkusen
The newly-crowned Bundesliga champions have not lost a single game all season, so they’re understandably the number one favorites to win the Europa League and possibly complete an unprecedented invincible treble season.With the way they’ve been going all season, everyone seemed to think that the only club that could realistically stop them from winning the Europa League was Xabi Alonso’s former club Liverpool. But Jurgen Klopp’s Reds got knocked out in the quarter finals and that seems to have made the path to victory a little easier for Xabi Alonso and his men.
Also, their uncanny ability to secure winners and equalizers very late in games this season makes it almost impossible for you to completely write them off in any game, no matter what the scoreline is.
Now, those guys who knocked Liverpool out are obviously second-favorites to win the prestigious European trophy.
2. Atalanta
Atalanta stunned the 6-time Champions League winners at home in the quarter finals and that pushed them up in the list of favorites for the Europa League this season. If they could knock out the team that everybody regarded as outright favorites to win the competition, who can they not beat then, right?They also have one of the hottest strikers in the competition, Gianluca Scamacca, who has scored 5 goals in 8 games in the Europa League this season. If he comes with his shooting boots, there’s no team he can’t score against.
The other Italian team still in the competition have an outside chance of lifting the trophy.
3. AS Roma
AS Roma have been excellent under Daniele De Rossi, having won 13 out of the 20 games he has managed since he took over from Jose Mourinho. So, one thing is for sure, the 2023 finalists will definitely not be pushovers.Also, if they are able to beat the number one favorites, Bayer Leverkusen, to get to the final, they automatically become favorites themselves, right? Pretty easy logic.
They also have useful Europa League experience having reached the final of the competition last year, only losing out to Sevilla on penalties.
4. Marseille
Finally, not many people fancy Marseille to win the tournament or even get to the final for that matter, but you might end up regretting it if you decide to completely write off the one-time Champions League winners.They are led by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who is both the top scorer in the Europa League this season and in the competitions’s entire history. He is currently in sizzling form having recorded 38 goal contributions in 46 appearances, 13 of them coming in 11 Europa League games.
If the former Arsenal and Barcelona man can manage to use his experience and great form to spur Marseille on, who says the French club cannot pull off a shocker?