Dortmund Open Chance to 16 Besar Liga Champions After Defeating Atalanta

Borussia Dortmund duo Maximilian Beier and Serhou Guirassy led the team to a 2-0 win over Atalanta. (X/@BVB)

Borussia Dortmund opened the opportunity to qualify for the 16th round of the Champions League after defeating Atalanta 2-0 in the first playoff at the Signal Iduna Park Stadium, Dortmund, Germany, February 18, 2026 early morning WIB. There is only a second match that determines the steps of the two teams.

Dortmund, who lost many central defenders, was still able to show their best performance when hosting Atalanta. Although it was late to come to the stadium because it was stuck in traffic, so the match was delayed for 15 minutes, Dortmund was able to overcome the pressure.

The German Bundesliga elite club even took the lead when the match was only three minutes into the match through Serhou Guirassy. They then added another goal towards the end of the first half.

This two-goal victory makes Dortmund's path to the last 16 more open. The reason is that Dortmund only needs a draw in the second match held at Atalanta's home.

On the other hand, La Dea does need a victory with a bigger score to open the opportunity to qualify for the knockout round. But whoever qualifies for that round will face a tough opponent, Arsenal or Bayern Munich.

"It was a perfect first step, even though it made us a little bit of a hassle. We were stuck in traffic for an hour and 15 minutes," said Guirassy.

"And, we only have 10 minutes to prepare once we arrive at the stadium. So, we feel happy and more calm after being ahead when the match only lasted three minutes," he said again.

Despite winning 2-0, Dortmund remained alert and cautious because there was still a second match. Midfielder Julian Brandt stated that the team 'is still in danger' because Atalanta still has the opportunity to turn things around.

"There is still a lot of work to be done. In this match we are indeed in a difficult situation. However, we can still overcome it. We managed to turn the tension into energy once we started the match," said Brandt.

In that match, Atalanta could come in time. On the other hand, Dortmund had to rush to prepare. In that condition, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac also couldn't field the best squad. They are in a crisis in the back with the absence of Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Suele, Emre Can and Filippo Mane who are injured.

Kovac was forced to bring in 18-year-old defender Luca Reggiani, who made his debut in the senior team, to duet with Waldemar Anton, the only Die Borussen center back still in the team.

However, Dortmund really made an impressive start. The match only lasted three minutes, Guirassy immediately hit and greeted when Julian Ryerson crossed to break Atalanta's goal.

1-0 unggul tidak membuat Dortmund bermain dengan tempo lambat. Mereka tetap bermain ofensif demi menambah gol. Hanya, tuan rumah harus menunggu hingga akhir babak pertama.

Midfielder Maximilian Beier finally increased Dortmund's lead in the 42nd minute. The score became 2-0 for Dortmund and lasted until the end of the match.