Dortmund look to end Italian hoodoo at Signal Iduna Park

Borussia Dortmund welcome Atalanta BC to Signal Iduna Park for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs clash on Tuesday night.

The Black and Yellows defeated Mainz 4-0 last time out in the Bundesliga. However, BVB suffered a 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan in their last Champions League league-phase game, securing a playoff spot for the German giants.

Atalanta claimed a 2-0 victory at Lazio in Serie A last time out. La Dea fell to a 1-0 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise in their last Champions League league-phase outing.

Match preview

Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta have met twice before in major European action, with the German side winning 4-3 on aggregate during a UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie in February 2018.

Atalanta have won each of their last three major European games against German sides without conceding in the process, already beating Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 and 3-0, respectively, in the Champions League this season.

The Black and Yellows have won just one of their last seven Champions League games against Italian opposition (D3 L3), a 3-1 victory over Milan in November 2023.

La Dea have lost each of their last five Champions League knockout games, losing 2-1 to PSG in the quarter-final in 2019/20, 4-1 on aggregate vs Real Madrid in the round of 16 in 2020/21 and 5-2 on aggregate against Club Brugge at the play-off stage last season.

After only losing one of their first six matches in the Champions League this season (W3 D2), Dortmund have lost their last two by 0-2 scorelines (v Tottenham and Internazionale). They have only lost three consecutive matches in the same edition once previously, losing three in a row in 2021/22 under Marco Rose.

Atalanta finished the league phase with back-to-back defeats, losing against Athletic Club (2-3) and Union Saint-Gilloise (0-1). The only time they have suffered three consecutive losses in the same edition of the Champions League was in their first-ever three matches in the competition, back in 2019/20.

Team news

Borussia Dortmund

Emre Can is sidelined with a groin injury, while Daniel Svensson will be available for selection after he served his one-match ban in their Champions League loss to Inter.

Atalanta BC

Charles De Ketelaere is the only absentee with injury.

Predicted line-ups

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Sule, Anton, Bensebaini, Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson, Brandt, Beier, Guirassy.

Atalanta BC: Carnesecchi, Kossounou, Hien, Ahanor, Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Bernasconi, Raspadori, Zalewski, Krstovic.