Atalanta: Darlings of Italian football after stoppage-time penalty keep Serie A in the Champions League

The immediate impact fell hardest on the clubs and fans who feared a shock blanking: atalanta's last-gasp penalty denied a Champions League last‑16 without an Italian team and turned the Bergamo club into a rare source of national relief. With Inter already eliminated and Juventus ultimately falling short, Atalanta’s stoppage-time spot kick preserves Italy’s presence in the knockout phase and hands the club fresh momentum ahead of a round of 16 date with either Arsenal or Bayern Munich.

Why this matters for Italian football and who feels it first

Here’s the part that matters: Serie A’s reputation was on the line after a sequence of failures left Atalanta as the sole remaining Italian representative in the last 16. That outcome affects club finances, national pride and fan morale — and it places heightened scrutiny on the Bergamo side as they prepare for a draw that will pair them with one of Europe’s elite. Observers called the run of exits a potential disaster for Italian football, and voices inside the game described the situation as historic and alarming.

Atalanta’s comeback and the decisive chaos in Bergamo

Atalanta overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to win the tie 4-3 on aggregate after a 4-1 victory on the night. Gianluca Scamacca opened in the fifth minute, Davide Zappacosta added a second on the stroke of half‑time, and Mario Pašalić headed a third in the 57th minute. Dortmund substitute Karim Adeyemi curled a goal in the 75th minute to level the tie on aggregate, and the match swung wildly in stoppage time.

Lazar Samardzic converted a penalty in the dying moments — described in some accounts as the 98th minute and elsewhere as the eighth minute of stoppage time — to complete the comeback. The decisive spot kick followed a lengthy VAR review: a corner had initially been given, video intervention overturned that call and a penalty was awarded after an aerial challenge left Atalanta substitute Nikola Krstovic bleeding from a head wound.

Key match incidents and personnel

• Aggregate and scoreline: Atalanta won 4-3 on aggregate after a 4-1 home victory.
• Goals: Gianluca Scamacca (5'), Davide Zappacosta (half‑time deflection), Mario Pašalić (57'), Karim Adeyemi (75', Dortmund substitute), Lazar Samardzic (stoppage-time penalty).
• Goalkeepers and saves: Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel was busy early and later made a mistake that allowed the final attack; Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi saved Serhou Guirassy’s low drive in the 49th minute.
• VAR and disciplinary action: Ramy Bensebaini (also seen written Remy Bensabaini) was shown a second yellow and sent off after contact with Nikola Krstovic, an unused Dortmund substitute, Nico Schlotterbeck, received a red card on the bench for protesting, and the penalty was awarded following video review.

Broader results that set the context

Atalanta became the last Serie A club standing in the Champions League after a run of exits. Inter had been eliminated in the playoffs by Bodø/Glimt earlier in the week, and Napoli did not reach the playoffs after finishing 30th in the 36-team league phase. Juventus had mounted a spirited comeback but ultimately lost in extra time to Galatasaray, leaving Atalanta as Italy’s sole representative in the last 16.

Elsewhere in Europe, Paris Saint‑Germain reached the last 16 after a 2-2 draw that produced a 5-4 aggregate win over Monaco, a tie that included a second-half sending-off for Mamadou Coulibaly, a lead for Monaco through Maghnes Akliouche, and goals for PSG from Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia; Jordan Teze later levelled the night to make it 2-2. In the Galatasaray–Juventus matchup, Victor Osimhen struck in extra time as the Turkish side closed out a 7-5 aggregate victory while Juventus were reduced to ten men in the tie.

What this means for Atalanta’s immediate assignment and reputation

Atalanta return to the last 16 for the first time since the 2020-21 season and will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich once the draw takes place on Friday. The club’s dramatic way through — capped by a VAR-overturned corner, a bloody head injury to Nikola Krstovic and a converted spot kick with the final kick of the match — has reframed Atalanta as the unexpected custodians of Italian representation in Europe. Commentators have labelled them the "darlings" of Italian football and compared their recent arc to smaller surprise clubs that punched above their weight.

The real question now is whether that belief will carry into the round of 16 against a top-tier opponent, and whether the replay of this dramatic night will alter how referees handle late stoppage‑time interventions in two-legged ties.

It’s easy to overlook, but a broader stat underlines the shock: Dortmund, runner-up in 2024, had failed for the first time to convert a two-goal first-leg lead in a two-legged European matchup — they had previously succeeded from that position on ten occasions.

Writer's aside: Nights like this rarely hinge on a single moment alone; they expose squad depth, late-game management and the thin margins VAR can introduce into knockout football.

Atalanta’s players and coach celebrated what was described internally as an unforgettable night, while key figures from opponents reflected on errors and emotional swings — a sequence that leaves the Bergamo club both buoyed and under a brighter spotlight as they head into the draw and the tougher tests that follow.