Atalanta stun Dortmund with remarkable comeback
Atalanta 4 - 1 Borussia Dortmund (Atalanta won 4-3 on aggregate)
Atalanta scored a dramatic last-gasp penalty to complete a remarkable comeback against Borussia Dortmund
Author | Jack L
Stadium | New Balance Arena
Facing a daunting task after a 2-0 defeat in Germany, the hosts tore into the tie with first-half goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Davide Zappacosta to draw level on aggregate.
The momentum continued after the break when Mario Pasalic made it 3-0 on the night in the 57th minute.
There was to be some late drama
Dortmund appeared to have forced extra time when Karim Adeyemi curled in a crucial goal to restore parity overall, but the drama was not done. Deep into stoppage time, Ramy Bensebaini caught Nikola Krstovic with a high boot in the penalty area as the Atalanta forward attacked a cross following an error by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
After a VAR review, referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez awarded a penalty and showed Bensebaini a second yellow card. Lazar Samardzic held his nerve to fire the spot-kick into the roof of the net, sealing progression for Atalanta in extraordinary fashion.
The Italians will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the next round. At full time, the home supporters erupted in celebration after witnessing a stirring display of belief, intensity and resolve.
A fantastic atmosphere in Bergamo
Atalanta understood the need for a fast start to keep hopes of a famous comeback alive and delivered almost immediately, striking in the fifth minute.
Lorenzo Bernasconi drove a low cross in from the left and Gianluca Scamacca, the former West Ham striker, arrived unmarked to apply a simple finish.
With Dortmund increasingly unsettled, the hosts doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time when Davide Zappacosta’s effort from outside the area took a deflection on its way past the goalkeeper.
The contest swung again after Karim Adeyemi’s 75th minute goal cancelled out Mario Pasalic’s strike, opening up the tie as both sides pushed for a decisive moment in the closing stages.
That moment arrived deep into stoppage time, in the third of three added minutes, with extra time looming and the tension inside the stadium at its peak.
