Lazar Samardzic scored a stoppage-time penalty as Atalanta secured a dramatic 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, advancing to the Champions League round of 16 with a 4-3 aggregate win.
Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta’s Nikola Krstovic inside the penalty area. Samardzic converted the resulting spot kick in the 98th minute to seal qualification for the Italian side. Atalanta will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last 16, with the draw scheduled for Friday.
The hosts were seeking to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit in Germany and made a strong start, taking the lead in the fifth minute when Gianluca Scamacca tapped in at the far post.
Dortmund created chances but goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was kept busy in the first half, denying Nicola Zalewski twice. However, he was beaten just before the break when Davide Zappacosta’s shot was deflected into the net off Bensebaini to give Atalanta a 2-0 lead on the night.
Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi produced a crucial save in the 49th minute, tipping Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide to preserve the advantage. Dortmund nearly responded in the 53rd minute when Maximilian Beier’s effort struck the post.
Instead, Atalanta extended their lead as Mario Pasalic headed in at the far post to make it 3-0 and put the hosts in control of the tie.
Dortmund reduced the deficit in the 75th minute when substitute Karim Adeyemi curled a shot into the top corner, giving the visitors hope of forcing extra time.
Late drama followed when Bensebaini attempted to clear a cross with a backheel, catching Krstovic in the head. After a lengthy VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty, which Samardzic converted with the final kick of the match.
Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac described the closing moments as “a whirlwind of emotions,” noting that regular penalty takers had been substituted before Samardzic stepped up.
Dortmund captain Emre Can said his side’s individual errors proved costly, stating that they did not deserve to progress.
