Nicola Zalewski recognized that Bayern Munich’s opening goal was avoidable. However, his warnings to teammates went unheeded as Atalanta quickly found themselves behind.
Bayern Munich opened the scoring in their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Atalanta in the 12th minute. “Die Roten” executed a clever corner routine, culminating in a close-range finish from Josip Stanisic.
The Croatian’s goal wouldn’t have happened without a lapse in Atalanta’s defense. The hosts were caught completely off guard, and Bayern ruthlessly capitalized. The Germans quickly played the set piece, and it proved enough to catch the Italians off balance.
Nicola Zalewski was visibly frustrated, signaling to his fellow defenders that he needed support in the corner of the penalty area. But his pleas for help went unanswered, resulting in the Bayern goal.
To make matters worse for Atalanta, the goal was just the beginning of their troubles. Bayern Munich led by three goals before halftime.
The Polish international played until the 55th minute, when he was replaced by Yunus Musah.
Atalanta were thoroughly outplayed in the first leg of their Champions League matchup, facing a significant uphill battle in the return fixture. The six-goal margin highlights the considerable difference in quality between the two sides, as reported by https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ucl-atalanta-1-6-bayern-220000257.html. Josip Stanisic’s early goal set the tone for a dominant performance from Bayern, with Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, Nicolas Jackson, and Jamal Musiala also finding the back of the net, along with a goal from Mario Pasalic. https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1rq80be/atalanta_0_1_bayern_munich_josip_stanisic_12/ shows the immediate reaction to Stanisic’s goal. The match, played on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, saw Bayern capitalize on Atalanta’s defensive vulnerabilities, particularly on set pieces, as noted in comparisons between players like Stanisic and Nicola Zalewski https://one-versus-one.com/en/compare-players/Josip-Stanisic-vs-Nicola-Zalewski.
