UCL | Atalanta 2-3 Athletic Club: Dea fall asleep and ruin big opportunity | OneFootball

Atalanta were totally dominating Athletic Club, only to crumble in the second half to a shock 3-1 defeat, putting Champions League top eight qualification in doubt.

La Dea were in a very strong position after four wins and a draw, including victories over Chelsea and Olympique Marseille. Scamacca was back to full fitness, with Ademola Lookman on the bench for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations, but Raoul Bellanova was injured and Giacomo Raspadori ineligible. Athletic Club had an injury crisis on their hands, missing Nico Williams, Inaki Williams, Aymeric Laporte, Unai Egiluz, Alex Berenguer, Yuri Berchiche and Benat Prados. They had just one win, two draws and three defeats in the Champions League.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

BERGAMO, ITALY – JANUARY 21: Players from both teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Atalanta BC and Athletic Club at Stadio di Bergamo on January 21, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Gorka Guruzeta scuffed a shot from a promising position in the opening minute, but it was Atalanta who took the lead with their first real chance.

Nicola Zalewski floated in a cross from the left and Scamacca used his physicality to climb over Aitor Paredes for a towering header.

BERGAMO, ITALY – JANUARY 21: Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta scores his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Atalanta BC and Athletic Club at Stadio di Bergamo on January 21, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Bernasconi bent a wonderful strike from the edge of the area to skim the far post, but the spectacular Unai Simon double save on Scamacca and Bernasconi was irrelevant due to the offside position.

Moments later, Scamacca did have the ball in the net, but Charles De Ketelaere was offside before rolling across the assist.

BERGAMO, ITALY – JANUARY 21: Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Atalanta BC and Athletic Club at Stadio di Bergamo on January 21, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

De Ketelaere came close again before half-time, his header on a Zalewski free kick smacking against the upright and ricocheting into the grateful arms of Unai Simon.

Atalanta continued to dominate with two big chances for Davide Zappacosta, who first forced a save, then drilled inches wide. At this point, they were third in the Champions League table.

However, Athletic Club equalised against the run of play when Guruzeta shrugged off his marker as Robert Navarro knocked down a long ball over the top and kept his cool to beat Marco Carnesecchi.

Ademola Lookman came off the bench for his first appearance of 2026, but incredibly the game was turned on its head entirely.

BERGAMO, ITALY – JANUARY 21: Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta is challenged by Aitor Paredes of Athletic Club during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Atalanta BC and Athletic Club at Stadio di Bergamo on January 21, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The defence fell asleep again and Nico Serrano was allowed to volley in the Navarro cross at the back post totally undisturbed.

Atalanta crumbled and Athletic got a third, as Kossounou failed to cut out the Salcedo through ball, allowing Navarro to go clear on goal and beat Carnesecchi one-on-one.

Lookman made an immediate impact on his comeback, as when a cross was flicked on to the far post by De Ketelaere, he generously knocked it back for Nikola Krstovic to tap in and make it 3-2.

Scamacca 16 (Ata), Guruzeta 58 (Ath), Serrano 70 (Ath), Navarro 74 (Ath), Krstovic 88 (Ata)