Atalanta BC booked their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in breathtaking fashion, overturning a two-goal first-leg deficit to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night at the New Balance Arena and seal a 4-3 aggregate triumph.

La Dea’s comeback made them the first side since the 2018/19 campaign to recover from a two-goal first-leg deficit and progress from a Champions League knockout tie, and they did so with the final kick of an extraordinary contest in Bergamo.

Dortmund arrived in Italy in strong domestic form, having lost just once in the Bundesliga all season, but their cushion in the tie was cut in half inside five minutes. Nicola Zalewski had already forced a fine save from Gregor Kobel before Lorenzo Bernasconi’s cross was diverted by Ramy Bensebaini into the path of Gianluca Scamacca, who made no mistake from close range.

The hosts kept the pressure on, with Zalewski a persistent menace down the flank. The Poland international tested Kobel again and later curled an effort narrowly over, as Atalanta seized control of the tempo.

Gradually, Dortmund — Die Schwarzgelben — settled. Serhou Guirassy glanced a header wide at the back post, while Marco Carnesecchi reacted sharply to deny Julian Brandt. Yet just as the visitors seemed to be regaining composure, they fell further behind on the night. Davide Zappacosta’s strike took a decisive deflection off Bensebaini, wrong-footing Kobel and levelling the tie on aggregate before the break.

The second half unfolded in more balanced fashion. Mario Pašalić fired straight at Kobel from inside the area, while Maximilian Beier struck the post from a tight angle with only the goalkeeper to beat — a miss that proved costly.

Moments later, Atalanta surged ahead in the tie for the first time. Pašalić met Marten de Roon’s inswinging delivery with a deft glancing header, sparking wild celebrations inside the stadium and turning the momentum decisively in the hosts’ favour.

Dortmund boss Niko Kovač responded with a flurry of substitutions, and after Guirassy squandered a gilt-edged opportunity, two of the changes combined to restore parity on aggregate. Karim Adeyemi exchanged passes with Carney Chukwuemeka before bending a superb effort into the top corner, setting up a grandstand finish.

With extra time looming, controversy struck. Kobel, outstanding for much of the evening, lost possession outside his area under pressure, allowing Atalanta one final surge. The goalkeeper managed a fingertip touch on Pašalić’s lofted pass, inadvertently diverting it into the path of Nikola Krstović. Although Bensebaini cleared the ball behind, his high follow-through caught the striker.

Following a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot and produced a red card for Bensebaini. Lazar Samardžić stepped up amid deafening noise and calmly converted the penalty with the last kick of the match, sealing a famous comeback.

Dortmund’s implosion was compounded by a late red card for Nico Schlotterbeck on the bench, capping a chaotic finale. Having held a commanding advantage after the first leg, their exit was as dramatic as it was self-inflicted.

For Atalanta, however, it was a night of history and redemption — ending a three-match losing streak in the competition and sending them into the last-16 draw brimming with belief.