And here was me thinking we may well be set for an all-Italian Europa League final in 2024!
Pre-match there were a number of questions:
Could brilliant Bayer Leverkusen conquer Rome or could last season’s beaten finalists go one better?
Were Marseille ready to shake-off their nearly men tag (runners-up in 1999, 2004 and 2018) and finally lift the trophy?
Or could Atalanta reach a first ever European showpiece?
The Europa League had got serious last time out and, with competition favourites Liverpool and AC Milan both knocked out, it was now wider open than ever.
In the Italian capital, the scene was set for Europa League highlights in a stadium which has been a bit of a fortress of late.
I had my misgivings when Jose Mourinho was replaced by Daniele De Rossi in the Roma hotseat in January following a string of disappointing results in Serie A.
In the longer term I still do but I acknowledge the new manager has improved their fortunes to such an extent that Roma had won six of their last eight home games, knocking Feyenoord, Brighton and Milan out of this competition.
Amazingly though, their opponents Bayer Leverkusen arrived at the Stadio Olimpico still unbeaten at home and abroad this season.
Yes that have had a couple of scares domestically since they clinched their first ever Bundesliga title but last-gasp goals against Borussia Dortmund and at home to Stuttgart in recent weeks had extended their unbeaten record to 46 matches.
Well, make that 47!
Xavi Alonso’s side may well have been seeking revenge after losing to Roma at this stage of last season’s Europa League and goals from Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich gave the newly crowned German champions only their second win in Italy.
Leverkusen broke the deadlock when full-back Alex Grimaldo raced on to a misplaced backpass before setting up midfielder Wirtz for his 18th goal of the campaign.
Midfielder Andrich then doubled Leverkusen’s lead midway through the second half, firing into the top-left corner from long range.
That sent the visiting fans into raptures and, with the returning Tammy Abraham missing a gilt-edged for the home side in the closing stages, Leverkusen arguably have one foot in the final.
The SBOTOP Europa League betting odds have the other semi-finalists closely matched and that was confirmed as Marselle and Atalanta played out a 1-1 draw in France.
Marseille have used the might of the Vélodrome to particularly good effect in the Europa League, beating AEK Athens, Ajax, Shakhtar Donetsk, Villarreal and Benfica at home.
However, they found themselves a goal behind after just 11 minutes when two of the players who caught the eye in Atalanta’s impressive 3-0 quarter-final win at Anfield combined as Gianluca Scamacca converted a Teun Koopmeiners pass.
The ex-Sassuolo and West Ham striker has now scored nine goals in the last 11 games across all competitions.
The home side quickly drew level when a defected Chancel Mbemba shot went in off the inside of the far post. Two goals inside the opening 20 minutes and that was how the contest ended.
Manager Gian Piero Gasperini seemed far from content with the performance of his troops and warned he wants a significant improvement for the second leg next Thursday at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.
He will take heart from the fact Marseille’s away form has been poor with just one victory in their seven away games in the competition.
It has been a topsy-turvy season for Les Phoceens who have employed no fewer than three permanent managers.
Jean-Louis Gasset has steadied the ship since taking over from the combative Gennaro Gattuso in February and may well be heartened by the draw given he was without five players through injury and had Samuel Gigot suspended.
So, all to play for next week but a potentially intriguing final between Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta is my prediction.
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