Arsenal v Dortmund By The Numbers

You Are My Arsenal has gone on loan! That’s right, your intrepid host is participating in Danny Karbassiyoon’s fantastic project, Soccer Without Limits (SWOL – check it out here. As part of my loan agreement, we’re breaking down the numbers in the Arsenal v Dortmund, Champion’s League tie. Read here or read it there. The gang at SWOL have a great thing going. You need to check it out, and you need to check it out because an Arsenal man is at the center of it – Danny, not me.

The Champion’s League is back after a long hiatus. In what is proving to be a group worthy of it’s “Group of Death” moniker,  Arsenal and Dortmund face off against each other tomorrow night in London. Should Arsenal win or draw, it would likely put them in the driver’s seat to advance on to the knockout round.  However, if Dortmund win, it opens up the group.

In preparation for the match let’s take a look at Arsenal v Dortmund by the numbers

4

the two clubs have met each other in the group stages on 4 different occasions in the Champion’s league. The last time was 2011 when Arsenal advanced out of the group and after drawing in Germany and winning in London. Coincidentally, in 2002 in Dortmund it was one Tomas Rosicky who scored a brace to carry Dortmund over Arsenal.

4

Arsenal have lost 4 of their last 47 home games in the CL, but the last 2 defeats have both come against German opp. (Schalke + Bayern Munich).

16

The Gunners are in the group stage for the 16th season in a row. For the sixth time in eight campaigns they had to negotiate a qualifying round, dispatching Fenerbahçe SK 5-0 on aggregate in the play-offs with Aaron Ramsey scoring three times.

2

Jürgen Klopp serves the second of his two-match touchline ban but Roman Weidenfeller is available after serving his suspension on matchday two following his red card at SSC Napoli.

5

Dortmund Goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak, who has not been breached in five appearances this term, conceded six goals on his debut for Australia on 11 October. Olivier Giroud scored twice in a 6-0 friendly win for France in Paris.

 9

Dortmund are in their ninth UEFA Champions League campaign. They were victorious in the 1997 edition and last season was most successful campaign since then, remaining unbeaten until the semi-final second leg when they lost 2-0 at Real Madrid CF. They still won the tie 4-3 on aggregate after Robert Lewandowski scored all four in a 4-1 first-leg win in Dortmund.

13

If Arsenal advance out of the group stages this seasons, it will make 13 straight season Arsene Wenger will have guided his team to the final 16 of the tournament.

4-2-3-1 Both clubs use a similar system with the only difference likely to be player positioning.

3 Keys for Arsenal

1. Arsenal must take advantage of set pieces. Against, Napoli, Dortmund conceded the opening goal to a corner and for most of the season, Dortmund have had issues defending them. Consistently in their match against Napoli to open the Group Stages, Dortmund were second to the ball on many set pieces.
2. Both teams have ample creativity and can own the middle of the pitch like no one’s business. However, with Dortmund preferring narrow play to wide, Arsenal must make use of their “make shift” width.  Again looking back at Napoli’s win over Dortmund most of the Italians play came in from out wide.  Without the speed of Walcott or Chamberlain, the width play comes down to who of the Arsenal wide players can find ways to beat their man, come inside and create chances.
3. Dortmund plays a notoriously high line. Olivier Giroud has trouble sometimes handling this. Last year when Norwich beat Arsenal 1-0 at Carrow road, the Cannaries effectively took him out of the game with their high line. Giroud needs to be patient and sit up on the pitch as much as he can.  Dortmund can be had with through balls from the likes of Özil and Cazorla (as well as Jack and Rambo) as the Germans sometimes push their CBs out wide with a midfielder dropping back to form a back 3. Against Napoli, Higuain had joy exactly because of this.

 4 to Look For

Mesut Özil. To say that the German has been transformative would be an understatement. While Arsenal were on a pretty good run without him, the signing has added an extra “oomph” to this squad. His CV is well known and he will be well known to Dortmund, where a he squared off against them when he played for Schalke and Werder Bremen from 2006 to 2010. But it will be his 89^th minute free kick for Real Madrid that will be etched in Dortmund’s minds as he forced the draw for his former club and last year’s Champion’s League runners up. He has kicked off for Arsenal in style with assists and goals. His first goal a wonderful cross body volley against Napoli that made us all just giggle with glee.

Aaron Ramsey. Let’s be honest, no one expected that anyone would over shadow the signing of Özil, but Aaron Ramsey has done just that. One Welshman goes on to Real Madrid and another pops up in his place to command the Premier League. Anyone who says Aaron Ramsey isn’t the Premier League’s best player at this moment, is blinded. Even if I weren’t a rabid Arsenal supporter, watching what he has done week in and week out in any level is just amazing. And who didn’t just nod and say “take a bow son” after his goal versus Norwich this past weekend? Let’s face Aaron Ramsey scores when he wants.

Robert Lewandowski. Anyone who thinks the version of the striker who took the field against England is the regular version of the player needs to have their head examined. Lewandowski is a lethal striker for Dortmund. He single-handedly jettisoned Real Madrid from the Champion’s League last season with his 4 goal display. He has an uncanny knack of finding space and getting shots off in very tight areas. If he has a weakeness it may be his aerial ability (and hence Dortmund’s poor set piece work)though he has been working diligently to improve this.

Marco Reus. Many thought Dortmund may suffer slightly when they sold Mario Götze to Bayern Munich. They were wrong. Reus is a versatile player with speed and technique combine to make him a more than apt replacement for the departed Götze.  He’s a two footed player with an impeccable first touch but he could very well be the Bundesliga’s best dead ball specialist. If there is a weakness to his game, it’s that he admittedly doesn’t like to head the ball. “I’m scared of it,” he revealed in an interview with Sky Sport News HD. “I always used to head the ball in the wrong place, with the top of my head.”  Still, a player with such an array of talent has the potential to dictate the match.

2 – 1

I’ll be seen as biased, but I do think Arsenal have it in them to win this one. 3 years ago, Dortmund were focused on capturing the Bundesliga and it took them from their focus in the Champion’s League. Last season they focused on the Champion’s League and nearly won it. From a far away perspective it looks like their attention is drawn to the Bundesliga again. If they aren’t focused on this match, they’ll likely see themselves on the opposite end of this draw. Plus, frankly, Arsenal are just playing with too much confidence. The Emirates is starting to sound like the home we’ve been missing since the move from Highbury.