Match preview: Atalanta vs Borussia Dortmund - UEFA Champions League, February 26th

At 00:45 on February 26th, the New Balance Arena will witness a dramatic clash between Atalanta and Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. This is a crucial match as both teams are seeking stability to improve their positions as the group stage enters its decisive phase.

Current ranking and standings

Currently, Atalanta sits in 15th place with 13 points. Meanwhile, German side Borussia Dortmund is close behind in 17th place with 11 points. The gap is only 2 points, making this direct confrontation an opportunity for one of the two teams to pull ahead of their opponent.

In-depth performance analysis and statistics

Atalanta: Home advantage and defensive challenges

Atalanta, the home team, has played a total of 9 matches this season with a record of 4 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses. Notably, they have a fairly good home record with only 1 defeat there. However, their defense is a major concern for the coach, as they have conceded an average of 1.3 goals per game (12 goals conceded in total), while their attack has only scored 1.1 goals per game.

Borussia Dortmund: Explosive attacking power

In contrast to their opponents, Borussia Dortmund boasts an incredibly impressive attack, having scored 21 goals in 9 matches, averaging 2.3 goals per game. However, their defensive weaknesses (conceding 1.9 goals per game) and unconvincing away form (only 1 win in their away matches) are major obstacles for the Ruhr team.

History of confrontations and current team situation.

In their last five encounters, the advantage has been with the away team. Most recently, on February 18, 2026, Borussia Dortmund defeated Atalanta 2-0. Looking further back, in their three official matches, Dortmund won two and drew one, scoring a total of six goals against Atalanta.

In terms of personnel, both teams are facing serious losses:

• Atalanta:Missing key attacking duo C. De Ketelaere (knee injury) and G. Raspadori (thigh injury).
• Borussia Dortmund:The absence of F. Mane (thigh injury) and P. Drewes poses a significant challenge to the defense. In particular, the availability of three key defenders – Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Niklas Sule – remains uncertain.

Predict the match result.

Based on statistical analysis, Borussia Dortmund is rated as having a 45% chance of winning, while the probability of a draw is also 45%. Atalanta only has a 10% chance of securing all three points at home.

With both teams missing key players due to injury, this match is predicted to be tight and low-scoring (under 2.5 goals). The advice for this match is a draw or a minimal victory for the away team, Dortmund.

Team lineup updated at 00:15 on 26/02/2026

Official lineup

Atalanta

Diagram: 3-4-2-1

CoachRaffaele Palladino

Starting lineup:

• 29. Marco Carnesecchi (G)
• 42. Giorgio Scalvini (D)
• 4. Isak Hien (D)
• 23. Sead Kolašinac (D)
• 77. Davide Zappacosta (M)
• 15. Marten de Roon (M)
• 8. Mario Pašalić (M)
• 47. Lorenzo Bernasconi (M)
• 10. Lazar Samardžić (F)
• 59. Nicola Zalewski (F)
• 9. Gianluca Scamacca (F)

Substitutes:

• 31. Francesco Rossi
• 57. Marco Sportiello
• 3. Odilon Kossounou
• 5. Mitchel Bakker
• 19. Berat Djimsiti
• 69. Honest Ahanor
• 6. Yunus Musah
• 13. Ederson
• 16. Raoul Bellanova
• 7. Kamaldeen Sulemana
• 45. Dominic Vasassori
• 90. Nikola Krstović

Borussia Dortmund

Diagram: 3-4-2-1

CoachNiko Kovac

Starting lineup:

• 1. Gregor Kobel (G)
• 23. Emre Can (D)
• 3. Waldemar Anton (D)
• 5. Ramy Bensebaini (D)
• 26. Julian Ryerson (M)
• 7. Jobe Bellingham (M)
• 8. Felix Nmecha (M)
• 24. Daniel Svensson (M)
• 14. Maximilian Beier (F)
• 10. Julian Brandt (F)
• 9. Serhou Guirassy (F)

Substitutes:

• 31. Silas Ostrzinski
• 33. Alexander Meyer
• 2. Yan Couto
• 4. Nico Schlotterbeck
• 47. Elias Benkara
• 49. Luca Reggiani
• 6. Salih Özcan
• 17. Carney Chukwuemeka
• 20. Marcel Sabitzer
• 21. Fábio Silva
• 27. Karim Adeyemi
• 40. Samuele Inacio