Champions League: Last-gasp penalty sends Atalanta past Borussia Dortmund and into the last sixteen

Lazar Samardzic scored an injury-time penalty to complete a dramatic 4-1 win for Atalanta over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, sending the Italian team into the last 16 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League with a 4-3 aggregate comeback wsx4.

Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs hit the head of Atalanta’s Nikola Krstovic in the penalty area, and Samardzic converted the penalty in the 98th minute to send the Italians through. Atalanta will now face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16, with the tie on Friday.

The hosts had to fight back after last week’s 2-0 defeat in Germany, and Gianluca Scamacca tapped home the far post to give the side a fifth-minute lead as they got off to a dream start.

Dortmund had their chances, but it was the goalkeeper, Gregor Kobel, who was busiest in the first half, twice denying Nicola Zalewski. However, he was beaten on the stroke of half-time when Davide Zappacosta’s shot found the net via Bensebaini to make it 2-0.

READ ALSO | Champions League: Monaco suffers Coulibaly’s red card as PSG advances into the round of 16

Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi saved the match when he tapped Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide in the 49th minute to protect the two-goal advantage. Dortmund came even closer in the 53rd when Maximilian Beier’s shot bounced off the post.

Instead, it was the hosts who scored again thanks to Mario Pasalic’s header at the far post, taking a 3-0 lead and taking control of the match.

However, Dortmund recovered with substitute Karim Adeyemi, who immediately added pace to the game and curled his shot into the top corner in the 75th minute as the visitor hoped to take the match into extra time.

Yet Bensebaini then tried to clear a cross in the penalty area with a back heel, but he hit the head of Krstovic, who went down bleeding. The hosts were awarded a penalty after a lengthy VAR review, and Samardzic beat Kobel to send his team through with the final kick of the match.

Published on February 26, 2026