Atalanta blow away Marseille to reach Europa League final

Semi-final 2nd leg

Atalanta 3-0 Marseille (Agg. 3-1)

Atalanta swept Olympique Marseille aside 3-0 to reach the Europa League Final thanks to goals from Ademola Lookman, youth academy product Matteo Ruggeri and El-Bilal Toure.

The first leg ended 1-1 at the Stade Velodrome, so it was winner takes all in Bergamo. Isak Hien and Samuel Gigot returned from suspension, but Rafael Toloi, Sead Kolasinac, Emil Holm, Valentin Rongier and Bilal Nadir were injured. Gian Piero Gasperini went for an all-attack formation, with Marten de Roon dropping into defence.

In the opening minutes, Teun Koopmeiners went on a solo run and Charles De Ketelaere saw his finish fingertipped onto the outside of the upright from the tightest of angles.

Gianluca Scamacca flashed a strike across the face of goal, but there was an incredible double chance when Scamacca blasted onto the crossbar from seven yards after a corner, then De Ketelaere’s follow-up header was palmed off the line.

Atalanta did get their goal when De Ketelaere sent Lookman forward, he cut inside from the left and the shot took a double deflection to wrong-foot Pau Lopez into the far bottom corner.

It should’ve been 2-0 soon after, but Lookman stumbled when clear on goal, then Koopmeiners fired the rebound straight at Pau Lopez.

Marseille had a huge opportunity to equalise at the dawn of the second half when Iliman Ndiaye caught Juan Musso in no man’s land, but placed the lob wide of an open goal.

Atalanta survived that scare and immediately added another goal of their own, as Ruggeri completed a give and go with Lookman to burst down the left, smashing a right-foot finish into the far top corner.

Marseille went so close when Jordan Veretout spotted Musso off his line and lobbed him from a free kick, bouncing off the top of the crossbar.

Koopmeiners stung the gloves of Pau Lopez and Moumbagna crashed into Musso during some brave goalkeeping.

El-Bilal Toure almost added a third in stoppages, just failing to get on the end of the Koopmeiners cross.

It was just the warning, as with the fireworks already going off over the stadium crowd, Toure shrugged off his defender to break down the left and bend a right-footed finish into the far bottom corner.