Match Preview: Arsenal v Dortmund; A Single Point to be Had or Be Made

It is the 6th time in four seasons that these two teams have locked heads in the group stages of the Champion’s League. There is no need for either opponent to learn anything about their opponent – they should know each other quite well at this point.

The performance that opened up the group stages when these two sides met was as emphatic a performance by an opposition as we’ve seen against Arsenal. Today’s visitors took to their home pitch and pressed Arsenal right off it with a resounding 2-0 win.

Dortmund may look like easy pickings due to their league form but this is a team that has 12 points from 4 matches in the group stages and  a win sees them through as the number 1 seed. Klopp in his pre-game presser said they won’t be coming to relax and they’ll be looking to play their game.  Which means, that this should be a wide open affair benefiting both clubs styles.

Arsenal for their part, need this match. Not just for what it means to their Champion’s League endeavors but for their psyche as whole. Arsene Wenger talks of the internal bond that exists when the team are together. Whilst we are not privy to all that goes on behind the scenes, this team looks void of any sense of togetherness or fighting spirit when it has taken the pitch recently. So it a solid performance – win or draw would likely going a long way to solidifying that supposed bond.

If we’re honest, the tie this past weekend was as frustrating a tie as we’ve seen. Arsenal were clearly the dominant side throughout the match, but as is the case, were found wanting in the end. Dominant in the first half they couldn’t bury the match when they repeatedly tested David de Gea. And as United showed, if you don’t bury those chances when you have them, you will pay.

Dortmund are a markedly better side than United. Though their league position would tell you otherwise, their European endeavors show the true nature of their ability. If Arsenal get the chances they had against United and do not capitalize it will be a long and repetitive road for them. Dortmund are short some key players of their own but they are still blessed with speed and control and as they have shown they will turn their chances into goals.

How Wenger sets this team up tonight going to be instrumental to their success. In the Bundesliga, Dortmund are getting burnt by defensive sides catching them on the counter. Teams are stacking 10 men behind the ball and looking for quick outlets to catch the former German champions out (sounds familiar doesn’t it.) In the Champion’s League where teams don’t tend to play behind the ball their skill shows and they reap the benefits of it.

While I don’t think we can expect Wenger to sit men behind the ball, it would be beneficial to play a more cautious system infused with high pressure off the ball. Let Dortmund have their possession but keep Danny Welbeck or whomever is playing up top, sitting off the shoulder the last defender. Win the ball and use quick passing to get the ball up and out on the counter. It all sounds so simplistic but it may not be in the DNA of how Wenger likes to play. However, the team’s very Champion’s League existence may hinge on this performance and sometimes it requires a different approach.

Yes, this is Arsene Wenger we’re talking about. But he has shown that in the Champion’s League he can sometimes afford himself a different look. Think to Napoli here at the Emirates and then that ill-fated night in Barcelona when we played defensively only to see a ref hand the match to the home side.

A strong positive performance has been the norm for Arsenal over the last few years when the chips are truly stacked against them. They need to find it within themselves to summon another performance like that. In truth they need a point.

A solitary point is all we need to move out of the group stages.  Caution has to be the name of the day. Be it through patient build up – insuring good passing a low turnovers or through a sound defensive structure that limits the passing ability of the opposition.

Arsenal need this match. The supporters need this match. It’s all gone very sour at every direction. A little Champion’s League magic from the boys would go a long way to beginning to restore a positive vibe.

Probable Lineups:
Arsenal: Martinez; Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez, Welbeck

Dortmund: Weidenfeller; Piszczek, Ginter, Subotić, Durm; Kehl, Gündoğan; Grosskreutz, Kagawa, Mkhitaryan; Aubameyang

Arsenal Injuries and Suspensions:
Wilshere (ankle), Debuchy (ankle), Giroud (unregistered), Özil (knee), Ospina (thigh), Szczęsny (hip), Walcott (groin)

Dortmund Injuries and suspensions
Papastathopoulos (calf), S Bender (hip), Reus (ankle), Hummels (ankle), Kirch (thigh), Nuri Şahin (knee)

Head to Head Tournament Stats:

Match Officials

Referee: Viktor Kassai (HUN)
Assistant referees: György Ring (HUN) , Vencel Tóth (HUN)
Additional assistant referees: Tamás Bognar (HUN) , Mihaly Fabian (HUN)
Fourth official: Robert Kispal (HUN)

Broadcast Information:
US: FoxSoccer 2 Go 2:45 PM EST

UK: Sky Sports 1 19.45 GMT/20.45 CET

YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal 1 – 1 Anderlecht

Manager’s Comments (courtesty UEFA.com)

Arsène Wenger, Arsenal 

First of all, the 18 years I have been here I have shown I can take criticism. Everybody has the right to have an opinion. Having said that, we have values at this club. The first one is when we go through a difficult patch, we show solidarity. That is a very important one. The second one is that, when you have something to say to each other, we say it face to face. We don’t need to go to the newspapers.

What is important is how close we are together inside the club and how much we can respond to people who question our quality. I personally feel there’s a very strong bond inside the team and the club, and that this team will have a very strong season. I am ready to bet with you on that.

[Dortmund] are a quality team with quality players. They are very quick in transition, very quick going forward and defending together. Individually, many of their players are international players for Germany, especially, and some for Poland. They are a very strong side. I think they had many injuries at the start of the season.

Because they are a big club, the questions come very quickly – ‘why do you lose?’ – and then the confidence drops a little bit. I don’t worry too much for [Dortmund] in the championship. They have a rival like Bayern, who once you are too many points behind, is difficult to reach again. I don’t think they will stay where they are at the moment.

Jürgen Klopp, Dortmund 

We are trying to play football the way we can, even if we’re not in the best form. Everybody has had some problems – Shinji [Kagawa] can play better, but that’s the case for everybody. He has had some good games and also some not so good games, but that is the same for everybody.

I don’t know so much about the situation of Arsenal and English football. I don’t know what people think here, I don’t know what they want to be. Everybody thinks this is the perfect moment to go through. Arsenal have some injuries but we have many more injuries and problems. It’s not interesting to compare.

We have pressure too. Not maybe in this competition, but we have a big target. We want to go through in first position. But in Germany we have big pressure. In the last six games we played four very good halves and two very bad halves. Those two bad halves were enough to lose us those games. Tonight I cannot change the Bundesliga problem. Tonight is like a holiday for me. It is ‘only’ the Champions League. I have pressure though, of course I do. Everybody has pressure.

It’s not my plan to relax. We will see what we will do here. We need each game to get more stability. We have to use this game for the Bundesliga. We need stability and that is our problem up to now. If we play well then it will help us in the Bundesliga.