Atalanta staged a late comeback to edge Belgium’s Club Brugge 2-1 in Tuesday’s Champions League clash, with Mario Pasalic at the heart of the turnaround in Bergamo.
The Croatian midfielder first won the penalty that sparked Atalanta’s revival before sealing victory with an 87th-minute header from a corner.
His decisive strike ensured the hosts picked up their first points of the campaign after a heavy 4-0 defeat to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in mid-September.
Brugge had looked on course for back-to-back wins when Christos Tzolis broke the deadlock in the 38th minute.
The Greek winger capitalised on a loose ball from Marten de Roon, receiving a clever pass from Carlos Forbs before twisting away from his marker and curling a superb finish beyond the keeper.
The turning point came with just over a quarter of an hour left. Brugge goalkeeper Nordin Jackers lunged clumsily at Pasalic inside the box, conceding a spot-kick that substitute Lazar Samardzic calmly dispatched in the 74th minute.
Moments later, Brugge almost restored their lead through Romeo Vermant, whose shot rolled agonisingly wide of an empty net.
That miss proved costly, as Atalanta’s sustained pressure eventually paid off. With three minutes left on the clock, Pasalic ghosted in at the far post to nod home the winner, sparking wild celebrations at the Gewiss Stadium.
