Atalanta Vs Dortmund — atalanta vs dortmund ends with late VAR penalty
Atalanta overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate after a stoppage-time penalty, keeping Italy represented in the Champions League last 16. The match between Atalanta and Dortmund was decided by a VAR review and a dramatic spot kick in the final seconds.
Late VAR decision decides tie
Lazar Samardzic slotted a stoppage-time penalty to complete a 4-1 victory on the night and a 4-3 aggregate comeback. The spot kick came after a lengthy VAR review that followed a challenge in the final moments: Ramy Bensebaini tried to clear a cross with a backheel, catching Nikola Krstovic on the top of his head, leaving Krstovic bleeding. A corner had initially been given, but the VAR intervention resulted in a penalty being awarded and Ramy Bensebaini shown a second yellow card and sent off.
Key turning points on the night
The tie had been delicately poised after Dortmund had arrived with a 2-0 lead from the first leg. Atalanta struck early when Gianluca Scamacca tapped in at the far post in the fifth minute. Davide Zappacosta then scored before half-time when his shot was deflected into the net off Bensebaini to make it 2-0 on the night. Mario Pašalić headed in the third in the 57th minute, which the described as having scored three goals in 57 minutes, and then Karim Adeyemi came off the bench to curl a 75th-minute shot into the top corner, briefly making it look as if extra time would be required.
Incidents, saves and substitutions
Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi produced what was called the save of the match when he tipped Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide in the 49th minute. Maximilian Beier struck the post for Dortmund in the 53rd minute. The late sequence saw a mistake by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel allow Atalanta to launch a final attack after the allotted three minutes of stoppage time had been played. When the foul on Krstovic occurred, Nico Schlotterbeck, an unused Dortmund substitute, was shown a red card on the bench for complaining. The referee blew for full time before Dortmund could restart the match.
Reactions from players and coach
"Everyone had written us off, " said Atalanta defender Davide Zappacosta, adding that the team always believes and never gives up. Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino called it "an unforgettable night" and "a dream come true. " Defender Sead Kolasinac described going through "a whirlwind of emotions" in the final seconds, noting that all the usual penalty takers had been substituted and that "luckily Lazar converted brilliantly. " Dortmund captain Emre Can said his error-prone side deserved their elimination and that with so many individual errors it would be difficult to progress.
Wider consequences for Italian football
The result leaves Atalanta as Italy's only representative in the Champions League last 16. Inter Milan, last year's finalists, had been knocked out by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday, a development that intensified the risk of Serie A having no teams in the last 16 for the first time since 1987-88. The coverage added that Inter Milan was eliminated by Bodø/Glimt in the playoffs on Tuesday. Napoli did not make the playoffs after finishing in 30th place in the 36-team league phase. Juventus, who had trailed Galatasaray 5-2 after the first leg, ultimately lost in extra time and were left out of the competition as well. Many commentators called the prospect of all Italian sides failing to reach the knockouts a disaster; journalist Vincenzo Credendino said, "It is a piece of history" and called the situation one of the worst, while Daniele Verri warned that all three sides failing to make the knockouts would have been a "complete debacle, a disaster for our clubs. "
Other knockout round results
In other ties, Paris Saint-Germain edged out 10-man Monaco to reach the last 16 with a 2-2 draw on the night and a 5-4 aggregate win after a 3-2 away victory in the first leg. Maghnes Akliouche scored for Monaco to level the tie on the night before Mamadou Coulibaly was sent off in the second half, after which Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored for PSG and Jordan Teze later made it 2-2. Galatasaray also fended off a 10-man Juventus in extra time as Victor Osimhen struck in extra time to help the Turkish side to a 7-5 aggregate victory. Désiré Doué reflected on feeling "stressed" and "scared" when the opponents scored late, saying teams must know how to come back from behind.
Atalanta are back in the last 16 for the first time since the 2020-21 season and will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich, with the draw set for Friday. The dramatic finish in Bergamo — two red cards, a VAR overturn and a decisive converted penalty with the last kick of the game after a bloody foul on Nikola Krstovic — ensured the tie will be remembered for its late twists and stirred debate over the final intervention.
It was also noted that it marked the first time Dortmund had failed to convert on a two-goal, first-leg lead in a two-legged European matchup; the team had achieved that comeback successfully 10 times previously.
For fans and players in Bergamo the night ended in joyous scenes as Atalanta secured progression to the round of 16.
