Coach Niko Kovac emphasises the need to translate the club’s current Bundesliga form into the Champions League, noting that the team has won six consecutive league games but has gone winless in the last three European matches. With four centre‑backs sidelined – Emre Can, Filippo Mane, Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck – the manager will have to pick a replacement for the play‑off tie against Atalanta.
Atalanta finished the domestic season in 15th place, two spots ahead of Dortmund, and already beat Frankfurt 3‑0 in the group stage. Kovac describes the Italians as a “very high‑level” side that will test Dortmund’s defence in a “man‑to‑man” battle.