Atalanta came back from a goal down to lead with a Josip Ilicic brace before Michy Batshuayi’s double gave Borussia Dortmund the 3-2 win.
It’s a disappointing result considering how the game had gone, but ultimately a slender loss at the Signal Iduna Park with two away goals will fill the Orobici with confidence for the second leg.
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Atalanta came back from a goal down to lead with a Josip Ilicic brace before Michy Batshuayi’s double gave Borussia Dortmund the 3-2 win.
It’s a disappointing result considering how the game had gone, but ultimately a slender loss at the Signal Iduna Park with two away goals will fill the Orobici with confidence for the second leg.
Follow all the action as it happens from Italy’s four Europa League matches on the LIVEBLOG.
The Bergamo boys continued their remarkable continental adventure with a trip to face the legendary Yellow Wall of supporters. Papu Gomez and Mattia Caldara returned from injury, with the captain celebrating his 30th birthday. Borussia Dortmund dropped down from the Champions League after managing just two points in six games, having replaced Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with Michy Batshuayi in January.
While the Orobici were one of four sides still unbeaten in the Europa League this season, Dortmund were without a continental victory in eight matches, losing six of them.
Marco Reus placed a dangerous angled drive inches wide of the far post, as did Bryan Cristante with the aid of a deflection from Sokratis Papastathopoulos. Mattia Caldara should’ve scored from the resulting corner, but couldn’t quite get his head to it from three yards out.
Andre Schurrle’s effort took a deflection to clip the outside of the upright, then tested Etrit Berisha at the near post. It was third time lucky, as Schurrle controlled a bouncing ball in the box and managed to steer it between Berisha’s legs.
Atalanta came out fighting for the second half and equalised with a magnificent solo effort from Ilicic. The Slovenian trapped a long cross with his right foot, sent the defender to ground and curled in from an improbable angle with his left.
Moments later, Ilicic was on target again to turn the game around completely in Dortmund. This time goalkeeper Roman Burki only palmed a cross into the path of Ilicic to tap in at the back post for the lead and two precious away goals.
Atalanta were suddenly in control and dominating the game, but were caught out on the counter by Chelsea-owned Batshuayi’s scorching finish after Rafael Toloi’s slip.
It was almost 3-2 to the hosts moments later, but this time Berisha stuck out a foot to parry from Christian Pulisic, as the momentum of this thrilling match swung again.
Julian Weigl was hauled off before he could be sent off, having risked a second yellow card several times, and Andrea Masiello went on an unexpected forward run to test the goalkeeper.
Batshuayi was booked for dangerous play, his overhead kick accidentally kicking Caldara in the face. However, the Belgium international proved decisive in stoppages, pouncing on a terrible Toloi clearance to rifle home from 12 yards.
Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Atalanta
Schurrle 30 (B), Ilicic 51, 56 (A), Batshuayi 65, 91 (B)
Borussia Dortmund: Burki; Piszczek, Sokratis, Toprak, Toljan; Weigl (Dahoud 80), Castro; Pulisic (Isak 85), Reus (Gotze 62), Schurrle; Batshuayi
Atalanta: Berisha; Toloi, Caldara (Palomino 85), Masiello; Hateboer, De Roon, Freuler, Spinazzola; Cristante; Gomez (Gosens 76), Ilicic (Petagna 88)
Ref: Stefanski (POL)