Atalanta have a slender first leg advantage thanks to Ruslan Malinovskyi and a Luis Muriel brace, but the 3-2 result leaves everything open for Bayer Leverkusen.
The away goals rule no longer applies in the Europa League this season, so this Round of 16 remains unpredictable.
La Dea’s injury crisis was beginning to ease, with only Duvan Zapata and Josip Ilicic still out of action, but recent form remained shaky with a Serie A defeat to Atalanta at the weekend. Bayer Leverkusen missed Patrik Schick, Karim Bellarabi, Robert Andrich and Andrey Lunev, plus suspended Kerem Demirbay, but were fresh off a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich.
It was a very aggressive start from the hosts, but Bayer almost took the lead with their first chance after nine minutes, a Charles Aranguiz free kick thumping the inside of the near top corner of the upright.
The warning was not heeded, because the same player opened the scoring moments later. It was a lovely team move, Florian Wirtz give-and-go before laying it off for Aranguiz to bend into the far bottom corner with the inside of the right boot from the edge of the box.
Rafael Toloi scuffed his finish after a good passing move and Atalanta equalised with Ruslan Malinovskyi, who exchanged passes with Muriel in the box and calmly picked his spot from 12 yards.
Moments later, it was 2-1 to Atalanta, as Toloi intercepted in midfield and Malinovskyi’s slide-rule pass sent Muriel free for an angled drive into the far bottom corner.
Edmond Tapsoba’s screamer whistled wide, Muriel forced a save at the near post after blazing past Jonathan Tah and a Teun Koopmeiners long-range strike stung Lukas Hradecky’s gloves.
Davide Zappacosta should’ve passed rather than go for goal at the near post and on the corner Malinovskyi couldn’t keep his header down.
Atalanta came out very aggressively for the second half and pinned Leverkusen back, adding a third goal with Muriel into the far bottom corner from just inside the area on another Malinovskyi assist.
Muriel should’ve completed his hat-trick after the offside trap failed and it was rolled across, but Hradecky managed an extraordinary reaction save from point-blank range with his foot.
Hradecky again denied Hans Hateboer at the near post, but Bayer Leverkusen got a goal against the run of play with Moussa Diaby cutting inside to curl with his left foot into the far bottom corner. Atalanta claimed Amine Adli had fouled in the build-up, but it seemed to be shoulder-to-shoulder.
Aleksei Miranchuk couldn’t quite reach the flicked-on cross from a short corner as it flashed wide of the far post.
Atalanta 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Aranguiz 11 (B), Malinovskyi 23 (A), Muriel 25, 49 (A), Diaby 63 (B)
Atalanta are porous at the back, but not many Serie A sides over the years go for it like they do.
Sad result for atalanta, will be tough in germany. Anyway, Slava Ukraina! Slava Malinovskyi!!!