Borussia Dortmund have a precious 2–0 lead to preserve when they visit Bergamo for the second leg of their Champions League knockout playoff tie against Atalanta on Wednesday evening.
The Germans have an excellent track record in this competition, and are one-time winners; famously defeating Juventus 3–1 in the 1997 final. They’ve also reached the last 16 in six of the seven previous iterations, and are well placed to do so again this time around after last week’s victory.
Serhou Guirassy’s early goal settled Niko Kovač’s side down, and they cantered to a 2–0 triumph, which leaves Atalanta with plenty of work to do.
La Dea were quarter-finalists in 2019–20, but have considerably less experience of Champions League knockout football. Still, they’ve been very impressive under new manager Raffaele Palladino, who inherited a side that sat 13th in Serie A.
After claiming a controversial 2–1 win over Napoli at the weekend, Atalanta are up to seventh and in contention for a top-four finish. Dortmund, meanwhile, fought back to earn a point at RB Leipzig last time out, and Der Klassiker is on the horizon.
What Time Does Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund Kick-Off?
- Location: Bergamo, Italy
- Stadium: New Balance Arena
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 25
- Kick-off Time: 5:45 p.m. GMT / 12:45 p.m. ET / 9:45 a.m. PT
- Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (ESP)
- VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández (ESP)
Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund Head-to-Head Record (All Games)
- Atalanta: 0 wins
- Borussia Dortmund: 2 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Borussia Dortmund 2–0 Atalanta (Feb. 18, 2026)—Champions League
Current Form (All Competitions, Last Five Games)
| Atalanta (WLWWW) | Borussia Dortmund (DWWWW) |
|---|---|
| Atalanta 2–1 Napoli | RB Leipzig 2–2 Borussia Dortmund |
| Borussia Dortmund 2–0 Atalanta | Borussia Dortmund 2–0 Atalanta |
| Lazio 0–2 Atalanta | Borussia Dortmund 4–0 Mainz |
| Atalanta 2–1 Cremonese | Wolfsburg 1–2 Borussia Dortmund |
| Atalanta 3–0 Juventus | Borussia Dortmund 3–2 Heidenheim |
How to Watch Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund on TV
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports 3, discovery+, discovery+ App |
| United States | Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, CBS Sports Golazo |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
| Mexico | FOX One |
Atalanta Team News
Atalanta will have to mount a comeback without star attacker Charles De Ketelaere, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.
January signing Giacomo Raspadori is also out injured, but that’s as far as their fitness concerns go.
Palladino should otherwise have a full complement of players to select from on Wednesday evening, with Éderson and Gianluca Scamacca two who will likely come back into the starting lineup.
Mario Pašalić, who scored his 50th Serie A goal at the weekend, may also retain his place. The Croatian is an experienced operator who has previously found the back of the net in a Champions League quarter-final for La Dea.
Atalanta Predicted Lineup vs. Borussia Dortmund
Atalanta predicted lineup vs. Borussia Dortmund (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolašinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Éderson, Zalewski; Pašalić, Sulemana; Scamacca.
Borussia Dortmund Team News
The Bundesliga side claimed victory in the first leg without an array of defenders, and Kovač is poised to be boosted by the return of Nico Schlotterbeck for Wednesday’s game. The centre back trained on Tuesday and has been included in the travelling squad.
However, key leaders Emre Can and Niklas Süle are still missing, as is youngster Filippo Mane, who’s nursing a thigh injury.
Karim Adeyemi may have a key role to play on the break, but Kovač will surely stick with the strike pairing that has produced the goods in recent outings. Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier were Dortmund’s goalscorers last week.
Borussia Dortmund Predicted Lineup vs. Atalanta
Borussia Dortmund predicted lineup vs. Atalanta (3-5-2): Kobel; Reggiani, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Brandt, Svensson; Guirassy, Beier.
Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund Score Prediction
Both teams should have a spring in their step after the weekend’s domestic results, even if Dortmund lost ground in the Bundesliga title ’race.’
Kovač’s side were able to keep Atalanta at arm’s length last week despite their defensive absences, but they’re unlikely to find it so easy in Bergamo, even with Schlotterbeck back. La Dea are desperate, and they’re bound to offer more on home soil than they did at Signal Iduna Park.
Wednesday’s clash is set to be more eventful, with Atalanta making a strong push. However, BVB will feel they merely need to produce one attacking moment to advance.
Prediction: Atalanta 2–1 (2–3 agg) Borussia Dortmund
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
