Coach Niko Kovac said the team wants to translate their current Bundesliga form into the Champions League knockout tie. With four centre‑backs sidelined – Emre Can, Filippo Mane, Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck – the squad will need to find a solution for the back line.
Atalanta finished 15th in Serie A, two places ahead of Dortmund, and beat Frankfurt 3‑0 in their last Champions League meeting. Dortmund aim to reach the last 16, while Kovac warned the tie will be intense and man‑to‑man.