Atalanta reached the Champions League round of 16 in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, surviving a chaotic finale against Borussia Dortmund that featured two red cards, a VAR intervention and a bloodied forward sprawled in the penalty area.

Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Atalanta needed a near-perfect night in Bergamo and delivered it with a 4-1 victory that overturned the tie 4-3 on aggregate. The decisive moment came deep into stoppage time, long after the allotted three minutes had expired, when a hopeful late attack turned into a season-defining flashpoint.

Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel mishit a clearance, gifting Atalanta one last chance. A cross arced toward substitute Nikola Krstovic, who was poised to nod into an empty net. Instead, defender Remy Bensabaini stretched desperately and caught Krstovic on the top of the head with his boot. The contact opened a cut and sent the striker to the turf, blood visible as teammates appealed furiously.

The referee initially signalled for a corner, but VAR called him to the monitor. Replays showed the high boot and the severity of the contact, and the decision was overturned to a penalty. The incident ignited Dortmund’s bench: unused substitute Nico Schlotterbeck was sent off for dissent, while Bensabaini received a second yellow card and his marching orders.

With the stadium in uproar, Lazar Samardzic stepped up in the eighth minute of stoppage time. The midfielder coolly whipped his spot kick into the top corner, sealing Atalanta’s comeback and sparking wild celebrations. The referee blew for full time before Dortmund could even restart.

The late twist preserved Italy’s long-running streak of having at least one club in the Champions League knockout phase, a record stretching back to the reintroduction of the round of 16. With Napoli faltering in the league phase and Inter Milan stunned by Bodø/Glimt in the playoffs, Atalanta stood as Serie A’s last hope.

They had set the tone early. Gianluca Scamacca struck in the fifth minute, Davide Zappacosta added a second before the break and Mario Pašalić’s header made it 3-0, putting Atalanta ahead on aggregate. Karim Adeyemi’s reply for Dortmund briefly levelled the tie, but the night belonged to Atalanta and to a VAR call that will be argued over for years.