Atalanta produced a stunning comeback to eliminate Borussia Dortmund from the UEFA Champions League, securing a dominant 4–1 victory in the second leg of their knockout playoff on Wednesday night.
Despite Dortmund entering the match with a 2–0 advantage from the first leg, the Italian side overturned the deficit in emphatic fashion to book their place in the Round of 16 with a powerful attacking display on home soil.
Atalanta made an explosive start, with Gianluca Scamacca opening the scoring in just the fifth minute. The hosts maintained their pressure throughout the first half and doubled their lead shortly before the break through Davide Zappacosta in the 45th minute, leveling the aggregate score and shifting momentum firmly in their favor.
The Serie A side continued to dominate after the interval. Mario Pašalić extended Atalanta’s lead with a third goal in the 57th minute, leaving Dortmund facing an uphill battle.
Karim Adeyemi briefly revived hopes for the German side by pulling one back in the 75th minute. However, any chance of a late comeback was extinguished deep into stoppage time when Lazar Samardžić converted a penalty in the 98th minute to seal a comprehensive victory for the hosts.
The closing moments turned chaotic for Dortmund, as Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini were both sent off in the seventh minute of added time, compounding a miserable night for the Bundesliga club.
With this result, Atalanta advance to the Champions League Round of 16, while Borussia Dortmund suffer a painful early exit despite their first-leg advantage.
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