Atalanta BC booked their place in the Champions League last 16 after a dramatic 4–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, sealing a 4–3 aggregate triumph thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Lazar Samardzic.
Trailing 2–0 from the first leg, Dortmund were immediately put under pressure as Atalanta wiped out the deficit before half-time. Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring after a defensive lapse, and Davide Zappacosta doubled the lead with a deflected strike that left the tie level on aggregate at the break.
Mario Pasalic then headed the hosts in front overall early in the second half, but substitute Karim Adeyemi reignited Dortmund’s hopes with a fine solo effort to make it 3–3 on aggregate.
With extra time looming, Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini was adjudged to have caught Nikola Krstovic in the face with a high boot inside the box. Referee Jose Sanchez pointed to the spot and issued Bensebaini a second yellow card.
Samardzic kept his composure to blast home the penalty in the 98th minute, effectively with the final kick of the game, sparking wild celebrations at the Gewiss Stadium.
Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac admitted the closing moments were nerve-racking.
“I went through a whirlwind of emotions,” he told DAZN. “When the referee gave the penalty, I didn’t know who would take it. All our usual takers had been substituted, but luckily Lazar converted brilliantly.”
Atalanta will face either Arsenal FC or FC Bayern Munich in the last 16, with the draw scheduled for Friday.
The win continues the resurgence of the Italian side under coach Raffaele Palladino, who replaced Ivan Juric in November. Atalanta are now unbeaten domestically in 10 matches in 2026.
The result also provided a boost for Serie A after Inter Milan were surprisingly knocked out by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday. Juventus FC, trailing 5–2 from their first leg against Galatasaray SK, remain the only other Italian side still in contention.
For Dortmund, finalists in 2024, it was their earliest Champions League exit since 2021–22. Captain Emre Can admitted his side fell short.
“If you make so many individual errors, it’s going to be difficult to progress,” he said. “We were very unlucky, but to be honest, we didn’t deserve to advance.”
Despite carrying a first-leg advantage, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac had described his team’s chances as “50-50” and insisted they would not sit back. In the end, defensive lapses, particularly from Bensebaini proved costly on a night that ended in heartbreak for the Bundesliga side.
AFP
