THE match itself may have proven a bitter pill to swallow – but Bayer Leverkusen fans savoured every drop of the build-up.
In the hours before they were put to the sword 3-0 by Atalanta, the club shared a video of their travelling fanbase revelling in Dublin’s most famous pub.
It was captioned: “Temple Ba(ye)r (tri-colour emoji).”
There was a clear-cut divide in the reaction to it between locals and non-Dublin residents.
While Irish people warned that they were therefore basing themselves in the capital’s priciest boozer, others simply loved the good vibes on show.
Unfortunately for those of a Leverkusen persuasion, there was nothing to be positive about from the opening whistle of the Aviva Stadium encounter.
From the off the Serie A side hemmed them in effectively and routinely dispossessed them in their own half.
It took only 12 minutes before Ademola Lookman capitalised on Josip Stanisic falling asleep at the back post to fire them in front.
The Nigerian international would bag a further two brilliant goals– breaking a number of European final records in the process.
Atalanta lost the Coppa Italia to Juventus, but their Champions League qualification, as well as wins over Liverpool and Marseille on the way to the final, proved they are no pushovers.
While it did not go to the German script, the game did live up to the hype with an incredible atmosphere before, during, and afterwards.
This game was virtually promised to the FAI when Ireland gave up hosting rights for Euro 2020 when Irish Covid-19 restrictions would have meant games with no fans.
Instead of a stadium in silence for four Euro 2020 games, Dublin got enough noise and colour to more than make up for it.
Maybe someone in UEFA even had a sense of humour by putting on a dance version of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence’ before kick-off.
But while the Irish fans present got treated to a glorious occasion, it was different for the local favourite on the day Alonso.
He was an adopted local having learnt his English in Kells when he was 14.
Sure, he even knows town so well he was jogging around yesterday.
His counterpart Gasperini may have been seeing the sights too, but with his grey hair, black zip, jeans and runners, he could have been confused for an American tourist.
But while Alonso had the locals and an unbeaten Leverkusen, Gasperini’s Atalanta team have something very Irish too – ‘Put ‘em under pressure’.
It is far more elegant and Italian than Jack Charlton’s old pressing game but, like the great Ireland teams that made Lansdowne Road a fortress, no one likes playing against it.
And it made Bayer Leverkusen look very, very ordinary.