Atalanta Vs Dortmund — Last-gasp penalty keeps Italy in Champions League
In a dramatic Champions League knockout tie that preserved Serie A’s presence in the last 16, atalanta vs dortmund ended in a 4-1 home win for Atalanta and a 4-3 aggregate triumph after a stoppage-time penalty sealed the tie.
Atalanta Vs Dortmund: late VAR review and last-gasp penalty
Lazar Samardzic converted a penalty in the 98th minute — described elsewhere as the eighth minute of stoppage time — to complete Atalanta’s comeback on the night and send the Italians through 4-3 on aggregate. The decisive spot kick followed a lengthy VAR review after Borussia Dortmund’s challenge left substitute Nikola Krstovic bleeding on the pitch.
Three-goal comeback and the goalscorers
Atalanta opened the night with Gianluca Scamacca tapping in in the fifth minute and Davide Zappacosta doubling the lead on the stroke of half-time when his shot was deflected in off Ramy Bensebaini (spelled Remy Bensabaini in one account). Mario Pašalić (spelled Pasalic in one account) headed a third in the 57th minute to put the hosts ahead on aggregate before Karim Adeyemi curled a 75th-minute reply for Dortmund to force the late drama.
Red cards, VAR overturn and the bench sending-off
What followed in stoppage time was chaotic: a cross to Krstovic looked set for an easy header into an empty net until a back-heel clearance caught his head and drew blood. After the VAR review the referee awarded a penalty; Bensebaini received a second yellow and was sent off, and an unused Dortmund substitute, Nico Schlotterbeck, was shown a red card on the bench for protesting. The referee blew for full time before Dortmund could restart.
Goalkeeping moments and near-misses
The match featured several notable goalmouth moments: Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel was kept busy, twice denying Nicola Zalewski in the first half and later beaten by Zappacosta’s deflected shot; Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi produced a key save to tip Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide in the 49th minute; and Maximilian Beier’s 53rd-minute effort struck the post for Dortmund.
What this means for Italian clubs and the next draw
Atalanta’s win leaves them as Italy’s only representative in the Champions League last 16, preserving a run that dates back to the reintroduction of the round of 16 in 2003-04. The Bergamo side will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich, with the draw scheduled for Friday. Atalanta are back in the last 16 for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
The match arrived after a difficult 24 hours for Serie A: Inter Milan had been knocked out by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday (spelled Bodø/Glimt in another account), and Juventus ultimately came up short after a spirited fightback left them trailing their tie and then losing in extra time to Galatasaray. Observers called the broader set of early exits a major setback for Italian football; journalist Vincenzo Credendino called it “a piece of history” in a negative sense, and Daniele Verri described three sides failing to make the knockouts as a “complete debacle, a disaster for our clubs. ” Former defender Curtis Davies said, “Now Atalanta are the darlings of Italian football, ” while James Horncastle likened the club to “Serie A’s Bodo/Glimt” in their recent rise.
Coach Raffaele Palladino called the night “an unforgettable night” and Davide Zappacosta reflected on the comeback: “Everyone had written us off, ” he said. Teammate Sead Kolasinac described a “whirlwind of emotions” in the final seconds as Samardzic stepped up, and Dortmund captain Emre Can conceded his error-prone side deserved elimination.
UEFA records note that this marked the first time Dortmund failed to convert a two-goal, first-leg lead in a two-legged European tie. The account also highlighted a wider collapse in Serie A group results, noting that Serie A champion Napoli didn’t make the playoffs after finishing in 30th place in the 36-team league phase (unclear in the provided context how that competition format applied here).
Atalanta now prepare for the round of 16 draw on Friday and a last-16 tie against either Arsenal or Bayern Munich; recovery and squad selection for the next stage are the immediate confirmed steps for the Bergamo side.
