Atalanta, nicknamed "Goddess," lost 0-2 to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-offs after conceding two goals in the first half. Coach Palladino stated in an interview that his team's man-marking defense was inadequate and that they made numerous mistakes during the match.

Julian Reilson crossed from the right in the 3rd minute, and Girazzi leaped up to head the ball into the net, giving Dortmund a dream start of 1-0. In the 42nd minute, Girazzi passed the ball across the face of goal, and Baier fired a low shot into the net, extending Dortmund's lead to 2-0.

Neither side could change the score in the remaining time, and Atalanta ultimately lost 0-2 to Dortmund away from home, failing to gain an advantage in advancing to the round of 16.

Atalanta coach Palladino said, "We shouldn't just focus on who's missing, but on the players on the field. It's regrettable to be 0-1 down from the start. We know Dortmund is a strong team with great individual ability, and they are good at using space to attack. That goal came from a cross, and we didn't mark their players properly in defense."

“I was also impressed by their midfield; they are very well-rounded players. However, we need to be more courageous in our mindset. We studied our opponents, and these kinds of games help us better understand our own and their strengths. A comeback won't be easy, but I believe the fans will cheer us on, which is why we love football; the game always gives the team a chance to turn things around.”

Palladino pointed out, "We made too many mistakes, were always forced to attack on one side, our style of play was too predictable, and our pace of movement was too slow. However, we clearly improved in the second half, with more possession, more active running, and more attacking options. I think we have the ability to create chances in attack, but we lacked quality in the final third, especially in crucial moments. There were many areas where we didn't do well in this game, and we will analyze them with the players."

“We faced a strong team, currently second in the Bundesliga, only six points behind Bayern Munich. I’m disappointed with the result, but I also saw that they only had two shots on target throughout the game, both of which resulted in goals. We must stay positive; our dream is to advance. If we ultimately fail to achieve that, we will know that we have given our all.”

Furthermore, Palladino emphasized, "This is only the first leg; the second leg will be played at our home ground. Since they were able to score two goals, we can do the same at home. We will regroup and face the second leg with extremely high intensity."

Image source: Internet