Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta BC - prediction, team news, lineups

Kicking off their fight for a place in the Champions League’s last 16, Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta BC will meet for the first leg of their knockout playoff on Tuesday evening.

Former winners Dortmund have recently reached the final and the last eight; La Dea boast a less impressive history but finished higher in this season’s league phase.

Match preview

After losing just one of their first six Champions League fixtures - racking up plenty of goals along the way - Borussia Dortmund then lost their last two league-phase games by the same 2-0 scoreline.

Having kicked off their campaign with a spectacular 4-4 draw against Juventus, tame defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan eventually saw the German giants scrape through in 17th place.

Since then, though, BVB have posted three straight wins in the Bundesliga, scoring nine times in the process: on Saturday, they made it six top-flight wins in a row by beating in-form Mainz 4-0.

The only real challengers to perennial champions Bayern Munich, Dortmund have recently moved within six points of the Bavarian heavyweights and remain in contention for the title.

A tough nut to crack under ex-Bayern boss Niko Kovac, they have been beaten just once in their last 30 league matches; looking further back, they have only lost two of their last 22 Champions League home fixtures.

Furthermore, Die Schwarzgelben have made it through five knockout ties in the past two seasons, leaving them well set to secure a 100th win in Europe's top competition when they return to continental duty on Tuesday.

After playing Inter last month, Dortmund must now host another Lombardy club clad in black and blue: their only previous meetings with Atalanta produced an aggregate victory in the 2017-18 Europa League, starting with a 3-2 home win on home turf.

Largely thanks to a fast start, Atalanta finished two points and two places better off than Borussia Dortmund in the league phase, earning home advantage for next week’s return leg in Bergamo.

Occupying 13th spot heading into the final round, La Dea could even afford to finish with back-to-back defeats, losing against Athletic Bilbao and Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise.

Since then, the Nerazzurri are unbeaten in four games, having booked their place in the Coppa Italia semi-finals by beating Juventus 3-0 and continued their steady rise up the Serie A standings.

One of Italy’s form clubs, Atalanta remain undefeated in domestic fixtures this calendar year, thanks to seven wins and two draws so far - last time out, they beat Lazio 2-0 in Rome.

Head coach Raffaele Palladino has rejuvenated a squad that was ailing under former boss Ivan Juric, who in turn had taken over from club legend Gian Piero Gasperini, mastermind of La Dea’s 2024 Europa League success.

A relative rookie compared to Kovac, Palladino led Fiorentina to the Conference League semi-finals last term, but succeeding at Europe’s elite level is another matter entirely.

Atalanta have already beaten Club Brugge, Marseille and Chelsea in the first phase, in addition to defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0.

However, before meeting more German opposition in the playoffs, they have lost their last five Champions League knockout games, going down 5-2 on aggregate to Brugge at this stage last season.

Borussia Dortmund Champions League form:

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Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

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Atalanta BC Champions League form:

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Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

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Team News

Borussia Dortmund can welcome back influential defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who served a one-match domestic ban against Mainz, while Daniel Svensson will be available after suspension ruled him out of their Champions League loss to Inter.

Marcel Sabitzer recently returned from a calf injury and could be ready to start, but captain Emre Can is still sidelined by a groin problem.

Set-piece specialist Julian Ryerson registered four assists - including two for Serhou Guirassy - on Saturday, as Dortmund’s prolific form continued.

BVB have already recorded 10 different Champions League scorers in the current campaign, with Guirassy, Felix Nmecha and Julian Brandt all netting three times.

Meanwhile, Atalanta will be without key man Charles De Ketelaere due to injury: the Belgian forward posted six goal involvements, created 20 chances and completed 11 dribbles during the league phase.

Palladino added Giacomo Raspadori to his attacking options in the recent transfer window, so the Italy international should deputise, supporting either Nikola Krstovic or Gianluca Scamacca up front.

Ivorian centre-back Odilon Kossounou - the only player to start every game for La Dea in this season’s Champions League - has not seen much Serie A action of late, so it remains to be seen if he earns a recall on Tuesday.

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson; Brandt, Beier; Guirassy

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Ahanor; Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Bernasconi; Raspadori, Zalewski; Krstovic

We say: Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Atalanta BC

Due to their pedigree and home record, Dortmund must start favourites for this tie - but their playoff opponents are in fine form.

No fewer than nine of Atalanta's 10 Champions League goals have come during the second half, so another late strike could see La Dea head back to Bergamo on level terms.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.