Atalanta’s last-second penalty keeps Italy in Champions League and rescues national pride
Atalanta completed a stunning comeback to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate after Lazar Samardzic converted a stoppage-time penalty, a result that preserves Italy’s lone place in the Champions League last 16. The dramatic finish matters because it halted the prospect of a knockout stage without any Serie A clubs for the first time in decades and left a string of consequences for Italian sides.
Atalanta penalty and VAR decision
The decisive moment arrived in stoppage time when a penalty was awarded after a lengthy VAR review; Lazar Samardzic curled the spot kick into the top corner in the 98th minute — the eighth minute of stoppage time — to seal a 4-1 victory on the night and a 4-3 aggregate triumph. The referee had initially signalled a corner before VAR intervened, and the match ended immediately after Samardzic’s kick when the referee blew for full time, preventing Dortmund from restarting.
Nikola Krstovic injured after Bensebaini challenge
The penalty followed a high challenge in the area when Dortmund defender Bensebaini flicked out a boot and struck substitute Nikola Krstovic on the top of his head, leaving Krstovic bleeding. The foul produced a yellow-card sequence for Bensebaini that led to his dismissal by way of a second booking. The first name of Bensebaini is unclear in the provided context.
Early goals from Scamacca, Zappacosta and Pašalić
Atalanta grabbed the start they needed: Gianluca Scamacca tapped in in the fifth minute and Davide Zappacosta added a second when his shot was deflected into the net on the stroke of half-time to level the tie after Dortmund’s 2-0 first-leg advantage. Mario Pašalić (spelling unclear in the provided context) then headed in in the 57th minute to put the hosts ahead on aggregate, giving Atalanta a 3-0 lead on the night before Dortmund’s late reply.
Dortmund response, Kobel error and Adeyemi goal
Dortmund reduced the deficit when Karim Adeyemi, introduced as a substitute, curled a 75th-minute effort into the top corner, making the tie look destined for extra time. The match saw notable goalkeeping moments: Gregor Kobel was busy in the first half — twice denying Nicola Zalewski — but later a mistake by Kobel allowed Atalanta to launch the final attack; Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi also made a key save in the 49th minute to tip Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide. Maximilian Beier hit the post in the 53rd minute as Dortmund pushed for an equaliser before the late chaos.
Broader Champions League consequences for Italian clubs
The result means Atalanta are Italy’s only representative in the Champions League last 16, ending a scare in which Serie A risked having no clubs in the knockout stage — a situation not seen since the 1987-88 European Cup era. Inter Milan had been eliminated by Bodø/Glimt in the playoffs on Tuesday, Juventus ultimately fell short against Galatasaray after a first-leg 5-2 deficit and extra-time defeat, and Napoli failed to make the playoffs after finishing in 30th place in the 36-team league phase. Atalanta are back in the last 16 for the first time since the 2020-21 season and will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich after the draw on Friday.
Reactions from players, coaches and commentators
Atalanta defender Davide Zappacosta said, "Everyone had written us off... we always believe and we never give up. " Coach Raffaele Palladino called it "an unforgettable night, a dream come true. " Defender Sead Kolasinac described going through "a whirlwind of emotions, " noting that all the usual penalty takers had been substituted but that "luckily Lazar converted brilliantly. " Dortmund captain Emre Can reflected on his team’s mistakes, saying if you make so many individual errors it will be difficult to progress. Commentators and journalists framed the result as salvaging national pride: Curtis Davies called Atalanta "the darlings of Italian football, " while James Horncastle likened their recent rise to a reversal of earlier instability. Italian commentators Vincenzo Credendino and Daniele Verri had warned the weekend’s earlier exits would represent a major setback for the country, calling it a historic low and a potential "complete debacle, a disaster for our clubs. "
Other knockout ties: PSG, Monaco and Galatasaray
The night’s other ties produced their own drama. Paris Saint-Germain advanced after a 2-2 draw with Monaco that produced a 5-4 aggregate scoreline; PSG had won 3-2 away in the first leg, Maghnes Akliouche scored to give Monaco the lead on the night, Mamadou Coulibaly was sent off for Monaco in the second half, Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored for PSG and Jordan Teze made it 2-2 late on. Désiré Doué said the objective is to dominate the whole match and to learn not to concede next time. In another tie, Galatasaray fended off a 10-man Juventus in extra time, with Victor Osimhen striking in extra time to help earn a 7-5 aggregate victory.
UEFA noted it was the first time Dortmund had failed to convert a two-goal, first-leg lead in a two-legged European matchup; the team had previously managed such comebacks successfully 10 times. With Atalanta through, Italy’s uninterrupted presence in the round of 16 — a run in place since that stage returned in 2003-04 — survives for at least another round.
