Champions League knockout phase play-off second leg: Atalanta vs Borussia Dortmund facts
Thursday, February 19, 2026
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Previous meetings, club facts and key stats ahead of the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off second leg.
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Atalanta face a 2-0 first-leg deficit as they welcome Borussia Dortmund to Italy for the conclusion of their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off.
Dortmund took control of the tie thanks to first-half goals from Serhou Guirassy (3) and Maximilian Beier (42) on 17 February that secured the club's 100th European Cup victory.
The Italian side were 15th in the league phase on 13 points (W4 D1 L3), two places and two points better off than their German visitors (W3 D2 L3).
Last match
The teams' only meetings before this tie came in the 2017/18 UEFA Europa League round of 32, Dortmund advancing 4-3 on aggregate (3-2 h, 1-1 a).
Atalanta had won three games in a row against Italian opponents – all without conceding – before their loss in Dortmund in the first leg of this tie. That was only their third defeat in their 12 games against German opposition (W6 D3).
This is Atalanta's first European Cup knockout tie against a German team. Their two-legged record against Bundesliga clubs is W2 L2, with defeat in the most recent, against Leipzig in the 2021/22 Europa League quarter-finals (1-1 a, 0-2 h). They beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the 2024 final.
Atalanta's home record against German visitors is W2 D1 L1.
Dortmund have lost their three two legged European Cup ties against Italian opposition, most recently a 1-5 aggregate defeat by Juventus in the 2014/15 round of 16 (1-2 a, 0-3 h). They did, however, beat the Bianconeri 3-1 in the 1997 final in Munich.
The first leg against Atalanta was only Dortmund's second victory in their last eight games against Italian teams (D3 L3).
Dortmund have won only one of their last eight away matches against Italian teams (D2 L5).
Atalanta are taking part in the Champions League proper for the fifth time – all since 2019.
The Bergamo club were ninth in last season's league phase (W4 D3 L1) before losing 2-5 on aggregate to Club Brugge in the knockout phase play-offs.
This is Dortmund's tenth successive appearance in the Champions League proper.
In 2024/25, BVB were tenth in the league phase (W5 L3) and beat Sporting CP (3-0 aggregate) and LOSC Lille (3-2 agg) before losing 3-5 to Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
Key stats
Atalanta are in the knockout phase for the fourth time in seven seasons. They lost to Club Brugge at this stage in 2024/25 (1-2 a, 1-3 h).
La Dea have lost their last three Champions League matches. They have never suffered four successive European defeats.
Atalanta are aiming to reach the round of 16 for the first time since 2020/21.
The Bergamo club have won two of the six European ties in which they lost the first leg, although this is the first time they have faced a two-goal deficit.
Nine of the Italian side's ten Champions League goals this season have come in the second half.
Dortmund are in the Champions League knockout phase for the 11th time in the last 14 seasons and the 14th overall. They won 3-0 on aggregate against Sporting CP at this stage last season (3-0 a, 0-0 h).
BVB are aiming to reach the round of 16 for the seventh time in eight seasons.
Dortmund have won all ten European ties in which they held a two-goal lead from the first leg.
Guirassy's first-leg goal was his 19th in the Champions League on his 27th appearance. The only players to have reached 20 goals within 28 games are Erling Haaland (14 matches), Harry Kane (24), Alessandro Del Piero (26), Ruud van Nistelrooy (27) and Filippo Inzaghi (28).