Atalanta Vs Dortmund: Last-Gasp Penalty, VAR Drama and the Rescue of Italian Pride
The night of atalanta vs dortmund ended in frantic drama as Atalanta completed a comeback that kept Italian football represented in the Champions League last 16. A stoppage-time penalty converted by Lazar Samardzic sealed a 4-1 win on the night and a 4-3 aggregate victory after a sequence involving a bloody foul, a VAR review and two red cards.
Atalanta Vs Dortmund: how the finale unfolded
Atalanta began the match needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg. Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring in the fifth minute, and Davide Zappacosta added a second on the stroke of half-time when his shot was deflected into the net off Ramy Bensebaini, making it 2-0 on the night. Mario Pašalić then headed a third in the 57th minute to place Atalanta ahead on aggregate, only for substitute Karim Adeyemi to curl a reply in the 75th minute that looked set to force extra time.
VAR hands winning penalty after bloody foul
The decisive sequence came after three minutes of allotted stoppage time had passed. A mistake by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel allowed Atalanta one last attack; a cross aimed at Nikola Krstovic—who went down bleeding after contact—was followed by a lengthy VAR review. The match saw two red cards in the closing phase: Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs struck Krstovic's head, and an unused Dortmund substitute, Nico Schlotterbeck, received a red card on the bench for protesting. A penalty was awarded and Lazar Samardzic converted in the eighth minute of stoppage time (the 98th minute), curling it into the top corner to clinch the tie.
Key moments and individual interventions
Atalanta’s goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi produced a crucial save in the second half, tipping Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide in the 49th minute. Dortmund came close in the 53rd when Maximilian Beier’s shot hit the post. Gregor Kobel had been busy earlier, twice denying Nicola Zalewski before being beaten by Zappacosta’s deflected effort. The match narrative included the foul on Krstovic—the contact drew blood—and a correction of an initially awarded corner into a penalty after VAR review.
Reactions, emotions and the broader picture for Italy
Davide Zappacosta reflected on how many had written Atalanta off, and the night was described by coach Raffaele Palladino as unforgettable. Defender Sead Kolasinac said he experienced a whirlwind of emotions in the final seconds and noted that all the usual penalty takers had been substituted before Lazar converted. Dortmund captain Emre Can assessed his side as error-prone and said their individual mistakes made progression difficult.
What this result means for Italian football and what’s next
Atalanta’s victory leaves them as Italy’s only representative in the Champions League last 16. The result prevented a scenario in which Serie A would have had no teams in the last 16—a position that had not occurred since the 1987–88 European Cup when Napoli were eliminated in the first round. Inter Milan had earlier been knocked out by Bodø/Glimt, and Serie A champion Napoli did not qualify for the playoffs after finishing 30th in the 36-team league phase, leaving Juventus as the only other hopeful. Juventus ultimately came up short after a valiant fightback against Galatasaray, with Galatasaray fending off a 10-man Juventus in extra time; that tie featured a further extra-time strike identified in the match record as contributing to a 7-5 aggregate for the Turkish side.
Progression, pedigree and upcoming draw
Atalanta return to the last 16 for the first time since the 2020–21 season. They will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16, with the draw scheduled for Friday. Commentators have cast Atalanta as the darlings of Italian football after this comeback, noting how the club’s recent European pedigree and resilience have kept Serie A represented in the Champions League’s knockout stages.
Elsewhere in the same round of ties, Paris Saint-Germain reached the last 16 after a 2-2 draw that yielded a 5-4 aggregate victory over Monaco; that match featured a second-half sending-off for Mamadou Coulibaly, a goal for Maghnes Akliouche to give Monaco the lead on the night, and goals from Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before a late Jordan Teze equaliser. These results complete a dramatic set of outcomes that left Atalanta standing as the last Serie A club through to the Champions League knockouts.
