Schmelzer strikes late to put BVB into last 16
A below-par Borussia Dortmund was indebted to a late Marcel Schmelzer goal as it edged past Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32.
beIN SPORTS MATCH CENTRE: Atalanta 1-1 Borussia Dortmund (Borussia Dortmund wins 4-3 on aggregate)
Marcel Schmelzer's dramatic late goal sealed a 1-1 draw for Borussia Dortmund against Atalanta and booked a spot in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League.
Dortmund captain Schmelzer has been out of action since December with an ankle injury and wasted no time in making an impact on his comeback as a half-time replacement for Jeremy Toljan, reacting first to Etrit Berisha's fumble to lash home and give the Bundesliga side a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Peter Stoger's side was second best all night under trying conditions, and found itself behind after just 11 minutes.
Goalkeeper Roman Burki, whose season has been plagued by high-profile errors, flapped at a corner and Rafael Toloi stole in at the back post to prod into an empty net.
The hosts squandered a number of golden opportunities to put the tie beyond Dortmund, most notably through Bryan Cristante, Josip Ilicic and Alejandro Gomez.
That wastefulness was ultimately punished seven minutes from time as Schmelzer's timely intervention secured progression to the next round for the visitors.
