In-depth Analysis
Although Atalanta finished the group stage two places above Dortmund and two points ahead, securing home advantage for the second leg, they still face a tough challenge after last weekâs 0-2 defeat in the first leg.
Following consecutive European losses in January against Athletic Bilbao and Union Saint-Gilloise, Atalanta suffered another defeat in Germany, where goals from Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier gave Dortmund the upper hand. Now, Atalanta must strive to become the first team to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg since Liverpoolâs famous comeback against Barcelona in 2019.
Aside from the loss in Dortmund, coach Raffaele Palladinoâs side has enjoyed an impressive February, reaching the Coppa Italia semi-finals and climbing the Serie A standings.
Meanwhile, Dortmund recently salvaged a dramatic 2-2 draw with a last-minute goal from Fabio Silva against RB Leipzig. This result leaves Niko Kovac and his squad eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich ahead of this weekendâs Der Klassiker.
Dortmund have lost only once in their last 30 domestic matches and consistently demonstrate resilience in European competitions. Having been Champions League runners-up two years ago and champions in 1997, they are aiming for their seventh Round of 16 appearance in eight recent seasons, with historical data suggesting they are likely to go far.