Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac has urged his side to transfer their strong domestic form onto the European stage when they face Atalanta BC in Tuesday’s Champions League knockout play-off.

Dortmund arrive at the tie in excellent Bundesliga form, riding a six-match winning streak that has propelled them back into the title conversation. However, their European campaign has been far less convincing. Winless in their final three league-phase matches, the German side finished 17th in the standings and entered the play-off draw unseeded.

“We want to carry the momentum we have in the Bundesliga at the moment,” Kovac said during Monday’s press conference. “We want to take this momentum with our fans into the Champions League.”

Standing in their way are Atalanta, winners of the 2024 Europa League, who travel to Dortmund for the first leg before hosting the return fixture in Italy on February 25.

“In the knockout stages, it’s all about progressing,” Kovac added. “But that won’t happen through words. We have to work hard on the pitch. That gives us hope and belief that we can succeed over these two games.”

Atalanta currently sit sixth in Serie A and, despite inconsistent European results, have shown improved domestic form since the turn of the year. Kovac is expecting a fiercely contested tie.

“Atalanta are a very strong team that has developed over the years. They won the Europa League and are consistently near the top in Italy,” he said. “It’s going to be very intense. At the moment, I see the chances as 50-50. Hopefully, we can go to Italy with a good result.”