Last-gasp penalty sends Atalanta past Dortmund and into last 16
Lazar Samardzic smashed home a stoppage-time penalty to complete a dramatic 4-1 victory for Atalanta over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, sending the Italian side into the Champions League's last 16 with a comeback 4-3 aggregate triumph, Reuters reported.
Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta's Nikola Krstovic in the penalty area and Samardzic converted the spot kick in the 98th minute to send the Italians through. Atalanta will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16 with the draw on Friday.
"Everyone had written us off, but this match showed once again how strong this group is," said Atalanta scorer and man-of-the-match Davide Zappacosta. "We always believe and we never give up."
PSG see off late Monaco surge to advance in Champions League
Holders Paris St Germain edged into the Champions League's last 16 after a 2-2 home draw with 10-man Monaco in the second leg of their knockout-round playoff on Wednesday, advancing 5-4 on aggregate from a tense tie that went right to the wire, Reuters reported.
Monaco took the lead on the stroke of halftime through Maghnes Akliouche, but after Mamadou Coulibaly was sent off, PSG took immediate advantage to equalise through Marquinhos in the 60th minute and then went ahead six minutes later through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
But Monaco set up a furious finish when substitute Jordan Teze scored from Simon Adingra's cross to make it 2-2 in stoppage time and Wout Faes missed a last-gasp chance to force the game into extra time as a glancing header went wide, according to Reuters.
USMNT M Weston McKennie to re-sign with Juventus
Weston McKennie's busy year continues to take flight with ESPN reporting Wednesday that the United States men's national team midfielder is close to a contract extension with his club Juventus, Reuters reported.
With Juventus since 2021, including a short loan to Leeds United in 2023, McKennie's contract was set to expire at the end of the current season in Italy's Serie A. His new deal reportedly will go 2030.
McKennie has scored 15 goals in 161 appearances since 2021 for Juventus. In 62 games with the national team, since 2017, he has 11 goals, according to Reuters.
Mbappe misses Real's playoff against Benfica, Arbeloa unsure of return date
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe will miss the second leg of their Champions League playoff against Benfica due to a knee injury, with the Spanish club not naming him in their squad for Wednesday's game, Reuters reported.
Real manager Alvaro Arbeloa said that it was a mutual decision between player and club doctors, for Mbappe to miss the game as he tries to recover fully from a knee injury he has been nursing.
The injury caused him to miss games in December and January while he also did not play in their LaLiga game against Real Sociedad earlier this month, according to Reuters.



