
Italian collapse in the Champions League
Atalanta is now the only Serie A representative left in the Champions League after Inter Milan and Juventus were eliminated.
The Champions League week did not start well for Italian teams. On Tuesday, Inter Milan, the reigning runners-up in the competition, were knocked out in the play-offs after losing 2-1 to Bodo Glimnt. The Norwegian side had already won 3-1 in the first leg, so they deservedly secured their place in the last 16 for the first time in their history.
In Wednesday's first match, Atalanta came back from two goals down against Borussia Dortmund. The Bergamo side had a prodigious first half in which they levelled the tie. In the second half, they were also superior to their opponents, and when it seemed that extra time was inevitable, a penalty converted by Samariz gave them the win.
That was the only Italian joy. In the second match on Wednesday, Juventus lost in extra time after doing the hard part. The Turin side managed a 3-0 win to level the tie with one player less, but their numerical inferiority weighed too heavily on them in extra time and two goals from Galatasaray condemned the Italians.
Atalanta already has its opponent for the round of 16
The only Serie A representative in the Champions League round of 16 already knows which team it will face. Its opponent is Bayern Munich. The first leg will be played on 10 or 11 March in Bergamo, while the second leg will be a week later in Munich. The Italians are not favourites to qualify.
If they do pull off a surprise, Atalanta's opponent will be the winner of the tie between Real Madrid and Manchester City. In turn, if they manage to reach the Champions League semi-finals, they will face PSG, Chelsea, Galatasaray or Liverpool in pursuit of their dream of playing in the Champions League final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest (Hungary) on Saturday 30 May.
Champions League round of 16 fixtures
- Atalanta - Bayern Munich
- PSG - Chelsea
- Galatasaray - Liverpool
- Real Madrid - Manchester City
- Newcastle - Barcelona
- Atlético Madrid - Tottenham
- Bodo Glimnt - Sporting Portugal
- Bayer Leverkusen - Arsenal







