Atalanta: late penalty sends Bergamo side into Champions League last 16
Atalanta completed a dramatic comeback to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate, with Lazar Samardzic converting a stoppage-time penalty in the 98th minute. The result leaves atalanta as the only Serie A club in the Champions League last 16 and ends a week that had put Italian representation in the competition under severe threat.
How the comeback unfolded in Bergamo
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg in Germany, atalanta opened brightly when Gianluca Scamacca tapped in in the fifth minute and Davide Zappacosta added a second before half-time when his shot deflected off Ramy Bensebaini. Mario Pasalic then headed a third in the 57th minute to put the hosts ahead on aggregate. Dortmund reduced the deficit when substitute Karim Adeyemi curled a shot into the top corner in the 75th minute, setting up frantic late drama.
VAR, a bloody foul and two dismissals decide the tie
In the final seconds, a cross that looked set for Nikola Krstovic to head into an empty net instead saw Ramy Bensebaini strike Krstovic on the head with his studs, leaving Krstovic bleeding. A corner was initially given, but after a lengthy VAR review a penalty was awarded. Bensebaini was shown a second yellow card for the foul and unused Dortmund substitute Nico Schlotterbeck received a red card on the bench for protesting; Lazar Samardzic then curled the spot kick into the top corner in the 98th minute, and the referee blew for full time before Dortmund could restart.
Key saves, misses and the goalkeeper error
Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi produced a vital save in the 49th minute when he tipped Serhou Guirassy's low drive wide, and Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel had been the busier keeper in the first half, twice denying Nicola Zalewski. A Kobel mistake late allowed atalanta one final attack after the allotted three minutes of stoppage time had been played; Maximilian Beier had earlier hit the post in the 53rd minute as Dortmund pushed for an equaliser.
Wider significance for Italian football and the last-16 draw
The win leaves atalanta as Italy's only representative in the Champions League last 16 after a turbulent week: Inter Milan were eliminated by Bodø/Glimt on Tuesday, Napoli failed to make the playoffs after finishing 30th in the 36-team league phase, and Juventus came up short against Galatasaray despite an impressive fightback before ultimately losing in extra time. Since the last-16 knockout round was reintroduced in 2003-04 there has always been at least one Italian club at this stage; not since 1987-88, when Napoli went out to Real Madrid, had Serie A risked having no teams in the last 16.
Reactions from players, coach and commentators
Davide Zappacosta, one of Atalanta's scorers, said: "Everyone had written us off. This match showed once again how strong this group is - we always believe and we never give up. " Coach Raffaele Palladino called it "an unforgettable night" and "a dream come true. " Defender Sead Kolasinac described a "whirlwind of emotions" in the final seconds, saying that all their usual penalty takers had been substituted but that "luckily Lazar converted brilliantly. " Dortmund captain Emre Can said his error-prone side deserved their elimination, adding: "If you make so many individual errors, it's going to be difficult to progress... we were very unlucky, but to be honest we didn't deserve to advance. " Commentators hailed Atalanta as the darlings of Italian football, and one pundit traced the club's rise from a yo-yo existence to European success, noting they've won a European trophy and reached three Coppa Italia finals while establishing themselves in the Champions League.
Other last-16 outcomes and matchlines
Elsewhere in the knockout phase, Paris Saint-Germain edged out 10-man Monaco to reach the last 16 after a 2-2 draw that delivered a 5-4 aggregate triumph. PSG had won the first leg 3-2 away; Maghnes Akliouche put Monaco ahead on the night to level the tie before Mamadou Coulibaly's second-half sending-off for Monaco proved pivotal, with Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring for PSG and Jordan Teze making it 2-2 late on. Désiré Doué, who had scored twice for PSG in the first leg, said: "At the end, when they scored, we felt stressed and it was scary. " Galatasaray also advanced, fending off a 10-man Juventus as Victor Osimhen struck in extra time to complete a 7-5 aggregate victory.
What comes next for Atalanta
Atalanta are back in the Champions League last 16 for the first time since the 2020-21 season and will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich; the round of 16 draw is scheduled for Friday. Dortmund, the 2024 runners-up, will reflect on the tie as the first time they failed to convert a two-goal, first-leg lead in a two-legged European matchup after having done so successfully on 10 previous occasions.
