Match Preview: Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund: Champion’s League Group Stages Match Day 1
Tonight at Signal Iduna Park, Arsenal set off on their 14th consecutive trip into Europe’s most prestigious and lucrative competition. Their opposition, Bundesliga champion’s Borussia Dormund, make their return after 8 years and a flirtation with financial insolvency. It is quite possibly the hardest group stage test, Arsenal have had in recent memory.
“I’ve rarely seen such a harmonious, well-combining team on the opening day of a season,” said Germany manager Jogi Loew said of the team that pretty much had the German title wrapped up by February. But their 2011 campaign has not gotten off to a bright start and this early on there is some concern that the team has lost some creativity in the middle of the pitch.
“I don’t want to talk about a fundamental problem but we did lack creativity, solutions and calmness,” said Jurgen Klopp (the man I’d like to see replace Wenger at some point.) A lot of this could be due to the sale of Sahin to Real Madrid this summer. But we shouldn’t be fooled, they boast one of the brightest talents in Europe and the brightest talent in Germany in Mario Gotze. We should all know him quite well. If media reports are true Arsenal offered €30 million for the young playmaker this summer. But Dortmund did not want to sell.
It seems that in Udinese in the qualifier and Dortmund now in the group stages, Arsenal are drawing teams that in some way are like themselves. Udinese in attack minded, flowing football and Dortmund in how financial prudence can build a winning team. Remember at one point Dortmund were near financial ruin. The club placed strict financial constraints on itself and built a team based on youth and the right kind of “supporting” buys to round out the squad. (It’s those supporting buys a lot of Arsenal fans would say we’ve been lacking in the last few years).
It remains to be seen if Dortmund are going to play the role of “just happy to be here.” Or do they have true aspirations to advance. I tend to agree with the BBC piece that says they are more likely to be interested in reasserting them as a constant presence in this competition and hence finishing in the top 4 of their league this season than progressing. Still, they are good, and the German side and Arsenal are my two picks to advance from the group.
Arsenal named its 18 man squad for the trip to meet “ze Germans” and missing from it were Tomas Rosicky (the former Dortmund man) and Aaron Ramsey. Rosicky is still nursing a knee knock he took on international duty and Ramsey’s injury is listed as an ankle injury that he picked up in yesterday’s training session. Frankly, I believe that is bollocks and the lad is being rested after playing all 90 minutes of the last 6 matches. We all saw at the end of the Swansea match when he he botched the easy looping pass to create the 4-1 he simply looked out of it.
That means either our midfield will be more defencive in nature with both Song and Frimpong in shielding the back 4. Or you can expect Benayoun to work alongside Arteta with Song as the DM. The back 4 is likely to be Sagna, Mertesakcer, Koscielny and Santos. A lot is being made up of Mertesacker’s knowledge of the German game and in specific Dortmund but I have to be honest I am not sure how much that comes into play. Its not like the NFL where a traded or free agent player may have worked with an opposing coach and can teach or articulate the tendancies that coach has in certain situations. The play on the pitch is fluid and isn’t really set so how much Merte’s knowledge helps is unknown but likely overstated.
All indications are Arsenal will be their normal attacking selves in this game. Like they could play any other way. The squad will likely feature Gervinho, RvP and possibly Walcott up front. But I tend to agree with everyone who hopes we would employ a 4-4-2 with this squad as we seem more fit for it. Robin slotted behind Walcott or Gervinho. It would be the best use of the available talent. And likely provide more opportunities on goal then what we get out of the 4-3-3. But I am an opinion guy not a tactical guru. So the finer points of those formatios I will leave to others. I just don’t think the 4-3-3 gets the best out of our squad as it is currently constructed.
Likely to also get a start today will be new boy Andre Santos at left back. Which means we could see a whole lot more crossing into the box. But as I’ve argued in the past, all those cross amount to little if we are not getting people into the box. Arsenal need to attack it and take advantage of Santos’ speed and skill in order to be effective. I’ll also be interested to see if at one point our front line is made up of Gervinho, Van Persie and the other new boy Ju-Young Park. Gervinho and Park are both versatile and can play on either side of the line. And as our players rotate anyway I think it would be an interesting dynamic.
Still for us the make up of the defence is what we all want to pay attention to. We still argue one of the best RB in Europe in Bacary Sagna. Laurent Koscileny starts his second Champion’s League campaign and if Gotze plays in the middle and doesn’t take things wide, it will be the Frenchman’s job to handcuff him much like he did Lionel Messi in the first match against Barcelona last season. Per Mertesacker comes armed with the knowledge of playing Dortmund twice a season and will should provide us some sound play alongside Koscielny. Santos as typical with some attack minded defenders is prone to a gaffe or two. So he should be considered our weakest link. But after Gael Clichy we are ready for anything.
The key man and my player to watch out for for Arsenal is none other than our polish Wunderkid – Woijech Szczesny. He was a star for the Poles against Germany a week ago and made some outstanding saves against Swansea this past weekend. He is a rising star and gets better match to match. He exudes confidence and feels he has something to prove (I like a player who plays with a chip on their shoulder). He has taken some good natured stick from some polish Dortmund players about the Man United score and he is out to set the record straight for them. He is the key to Arsenal’s success in this and every tournament.
How the match should play out:
While Arsenal would never follow the Rafa Benitez model and play for a draw, I really think that is what we will see. I expect to see both Frimpong and Song in the middle of the pitch covering the defenders even though it wasn’t the best model for us against Udinese. Let’s not forget that our opponents are German Champions and that says something. Arsenal are very capable of beating them and vice versa but I think both sides want to come out of here as unscathed as possible. A win, for either puts them in the pole position for the group.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: Szczesny. For all the reasons I cited above and more. Simply I believe we are watching the emergence of an Arsenal legend.
Dortmund: Mario Gotze. Duh. He is without a doubt one of the brightest stars of the future and frankly he could be coming to Arsenal sometime in the near future. Dortmund’s biggest threat with Sahin gone.
Projected Arsenal Starting XI:
Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Kosicelny, Santos, Frimpong, Song, Arteta, Gervinho, Walcott, Van Persie (4-2-1-2-1)
Broadcast Information:
US: Foxsoccer.TV 2:45 PM
UK: BBC Sport and Sky Sports 4 1945 BST
GAMEDAY CHAT IS OPEN: https://youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 1
Dortmund: 1
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HighburySteve gave a balanced and reasoned report, so kudos for that. I took the time to re-watch the game to come out with a more constructive view as follows.
Although we were bossed in the 2nd half and our MF was rendered ineffective, this was actually when we played our best defense. Per, Sagna, Koz and Song all stepped up big time and the rest of the squad outside of Walcott all contributed on the defensive end.
Sagna was the only player who stood out for the entire 90 minutes along with CZ. Per was solid throughout. Koz, like Song, was massive in the 2nd but made 2 mistakes in the first 25minutes which could have easily cost us the game. Gibbs looked very tentative, seems to have regressed and his only attribute was his recovery speed. He did nothing offensively.
Theo was totally ineffective and his only contribution was a simple assist on a goal which was created solely by the hustle of RVP. He Won the ball on defense just outside the box, laid off a pass, ran half the length of the field to receive the return, stuck his leg out to get the ball to Theo and finished coolly upon getting the return.
The forwards were starved of service and when they did get the ball had no support from the MF or from other forwards and were surrounded by 3 or 4 B D players. Arsenal players were not making themselves available for return passes and this caused us to give up possession or play the ball backward.
The MF worked hard but was totally overran and ineffective offensively.
The 4 best players on the field were Goetze, Kagawa, Hummels and Subotic, any of which could be starters on our team. The game reminded me of a Fulham versus Arsenal tie in previous years, except in this case, we were Fulham.
Our new team has clearly not jelled yet so it’s very difficult to anticipate what the final outcome will be in terms of quality. Unless it does so quickly and we get back an on form JW we are looking on 6th or 7th place in the BPL.
B D looked like the Arsenal of old and we looked like a team I have never witnessed before. 1 point was massive in an away game in which we were totally outplayed. Lady luck fell our way this time in a game where we showed great grit and determination but very little class.
It was also good to see Pat Rice very active on the sidelines, urging on his team and regularly giving instructions.
@Caribkid, Hey, somebody who watched….and wrote up a very good match report….
Putting the meta-narratives aside, I agree with much of what you say. It IS a whole new team, which maybe could make it interesting for people to watch if you can get past the fact that we’re not in the same class as the huge money teams. (Who are actually doing worse than we were 45 mins into their CL campaigns….) Like I said below Theo and Yossi (and Gervinho) struggled mightily against Dortmund’s pressuring D and this is where we really could’ve used a player like Hleb who could dribble us out of trouble, converting defense into offense…..
Likewise we missed Rosicky who is an interesting figure in that he scored 2 against us the last time we played in Dortmund (9 years ago!). I don’t watch a ton of the German game but when I do it always seems just like yesterday: lots of good MF play, tons of space in the boxes and plenty of spurned chances. Far more interesting than the usual English game of route 1, fouling, fouling and fouling and bestial play in the boxes (never called) esp. at set pieces…..Gotze, who we have elevated to another level by our transfer interest, reminded me of a quicker Rosicky in the way he used the outside of his feet (both of them, not just the right….) and how he rushed his shot as our defenders dropped off him, playing the pass….He would, in fact, be pretty exciting if we could get him….
The case of Gibbs is interesting. I really don’t know enough about wing back positioning to critique him but he seems an improvement to Clichy and I thought he handled the balls that came his way well yesterday. Unlike Sagna who is extremely intense and precise in his body language and play-making, Gibbs seems very casual. My fear is that “experienced” wingers will use this against him and play for contact (fouls). Dortmund was more of a passing team so it wasn’t such a factor yesterday…..
So, in our last two matches we’ve secured reasonable results by poaching a goal from a defensive error while being both resolute and lucky at the other end. It’s very, very different than in years past and it requires a focus and sense of team play that has been (seriously) lacking over that same (barren) period. Perhaps, however, it’s a more realistic approach and one where experience, effort and teamwork rather than self-interest and self belief (often undeserved) are the cornerstones of something new that is (possibly) being built…..
strange really, I seem to be in the minority really that thought we defended well in the second half. First half, we rode our luck, good goal from Van Persie though. But Second half, Koscielny was outstanding, Song was fantastic had it not been for that wonder goal, we’d have taken 3 points back to North london. Mertesacker may have got exposed a lot but our midfield was giving the ball away in the first half so its not his fault.
But I’d agree with DAG here, a draw away to the Bundesliga champions who conceded 8 goals at home last season, I’ll take it.
So…..it seems nobody here wants to discuss the (actual) football anymore. I guess it’s too depressing and it’s easier to see the scoreline and the name of the opponent (you don’t have to actually watch the matches….) and yearn for the Arsenal you used to know…..It reminds me of a certain political “movement” here in the US, where people can look at the skin color of the president and wish for older, happier times….And funny enough, in both cases, the “common folk” somehow believe that if you just give enough power/money to the billionaires it’ll all work out for the best….. Hmmmm…….
For those who did watch the match, you know it was a nail biter and a good point in the end. Dortmund were fairly dominant but we played hard and they were as lucky as we were to get something in the end. Our new (old) Spaniard gave blood to the cause and many others stood out on the defensive end for their solid work resisting wave after wave. We were particularly classy at the two ends of the pitch where RVP sprung his own break and finished it in style and our (baby) keeper took another step forward and rallied his back line in a seriously hostile environment. Personally I like that he didn’t do a silly floppy dive (Almunia style) after the wonder volley that beat him, instead watching it and hoping there might be a rebound (off the woodwork) to play…..
But back to the “bigger” picture…..Yeah, we’ll probably lose Sneezy and RVP and Sagna and maybe even Alex Song or Koscielny (or whoever plays decently….) to Man City or Barca or one of the other “big” clubs….And yeah we “should” have offered an extra 10 million (or billion or trillion) for Mario Gotze (who, in fact, did impress a lot, except maybe for his finishing)….. With a midfield of him and Cesc and Nasri and maybe Juan Mata and Eden Hazard (instead of Gervinho, who ran into dead end after dead end, except when he was one on one with the keeper but whiffed his shot….) we’d be a force to reckon with….. And (gosh) if we had M’vila holding in front of Phil Jones (who was brilliant on the weekend for United….) and David Luis (nice goal yesterday for a CB….) and Gary Cahill and Chris Samba with Shay Given or Mark Schwarzer in goal and we paid off the refs, wow, we’d be the bomb….
Reality sucks, (and on yesterday’s performances so too maybe do Theo and Yossi) but it’s actually real and it’s maybe what we have at hand. Anybody care to discuss it, or should we just wish it away?……
@HighburyTerraceSteve,
Awesome post, Steve. Appreciate the political commentary/analogy.
I didn’t watch the match. I could have made/found time for it, but I just wasn’t interested. After over a decade of finding Arsenal matches essential watching, now they feel like something I’ll fit in when I can (or when the match up is compelling enough). It took four years to get worn down to this point, but it’s where I am now. It’s weird.
@HighburyTerraceSteve,
Also we did offer a lot for Gotze, but Dortmund were not going to sell to a Champions league competitor without enough time to find a replacement. Regardless of how much we’d offered
@HighburyTerraceSteve, wishing it away.
I didn’t miss a match for YEARS… work or no work.
now, I can’t be “arsed”…
feck reality. it sucks when you are an Arsenal supporter.
Henry has had a good season for Red Bulls.
;)
Is it just me, or did Mertesacker look exceedingly bad?
I lost count how many times in the first half he was passed like a statue. An extra $2-3mn for Cahill woud have a much better investment, I don’t care how many caps Mertesacker has.
Koscielny was immense, as was Song.
didn’t see the match, that damn “work thing” got in the way… but followed via Soccernet Gamecast…
I think they outshot us 21 to 7? or something like that… and we were hanging on for dear-life at the end… blew another lead late, and Sneezy apparently made some heart-stopping saves.
This is Arsenal.
The dominance is over. We sold it.
so, 1-1 away in the CL is now a good result.
1-1 away to the Bundesliga Champions – I’ll take it.
@DaAdminGooner,
1-0 over newly promoted Swansea. Also ‘I’ll take it.”
“I’ll take it” should be the new motto of the Arsenal supporter. Because we’re going to be taking it for some time to come.
@stag133,
“This is Arsenal.
The dominance is over. We sold it.
so, 1-1 away in the CL is now a good result.“
So depressingly true. We should have added Arteta, Benayoun, etc to Cesc and Nasri, instead they are the replacements.
@rocka, could not agree more.
Starting XI: Szczesny, Sagna, Merte, Kosc, Gibbs, Arteta, Benayoun, Song, Van Persie, Walcott, Gervinho.
Subs: Fabianski Djourou Santos Frimpong Arshavin Chamakh Park
Think Arsene may start Benayoun instead of Frimpong just from an experience standpoint. Can always bring on Deeeeench in the 2nd when Yosi tires.
Would love to see a little bit of Park in the 2nd to see what he is made of.
Dortmund 2-1 Arsenal
This game is going to hinge on Song actually doing his DM duties and whoever the AM is providing balls for RVP and Gervinho. If this does not happen, this game will end 2-0 or worse in Dortmund’s favor