Dortmund have won six consecutive league matches but have gone winless in their last three Champions League games. Kovac said the team must translate domestic form into the knockout tie and rely on fan support.
Four centre‑backs are sidelined – Emre Can, Filippo Mane, Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck – so the coach will choose from a pool that includes Luca Reggiani, Julian Ryerson and Salih Özcan. Atalanta finished 15th in Serie A, 2 places ahead, and beat Frankfurt 3‑0 in the group stage.