When Arsenal found out who their group opponents were to be in the Champions League, all eyes were immediately drawn to this fixture. Runners up in last year’s Champions League, Arsenal knew that the Germans would, most likely, prove to be their biggest test.
Arsenal currently sit top of Group F with a 100% record, though with Dortmund and Napoli both ready to pounce at any slip up, the Gunners cannot afford to be complacent. However, despite the emphatic win against Norwich at the weekend, the Germans will prove to be a much sterner test, in the first of a double header.
Team News
Despite being a very good all round performance against Norwich on Saturday, it was not all cheers for the Gunners. Mathieu Flamini, who left the Emirates at the weekend with concussion, will not play. This is a huge blow for Arsenal, for as good as Ozil and Ramsey have been, Flamini has been immense, with his contribution as a defensive rock in the midfield has allowed them to express their creativity.
There is still more bad news for Arsenal where injuries are concerned, as Theo Walcott has suffered a minor setback, and so misses out on the match, while Sanogo, Podolski, Diaby and Oxlade-Chamberlain are all still out injured.
Other than this, Arsenal have a fully fit squad, which is brimming with confidence after emphatically beating Norwich, and seems to be finally fulfilling its potential, after brilliant goals from Wilshere and Ramsey.
Borussia Dortmund
Last season’s runners up in this competition had started the season well, before succumbing to a defeat at the hands Napoli in the opening game of the group stage. They will be aiming to go one further this year, and get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 1997.
This German team, which is blessed with immense talent, lost one of their star players from last year, Mario Gotze, however, have more than adequately replace him with Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Gabonese speedster Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Add to this the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and German star Marco Reus, then it is not hard to see why many may fear this attack.
Dortmund, however, will be without that charismatic manager, Jurgen Klopp, who is still serving his touchline ban after being sent to the stands in their defeat against Napoli.
The game could be a very open one, with a wide array of attacking, flowing football on display on Tuesday night. Both teams will come into this with confidence, however, the past four meeting have Arsenal marginally ahead, with the Gunners having won two, compared to Dortmund’s one. And with both sides having a large number of German and Polish talent, each will know what to expect from the other, making the game even more interesting.
Expected line-up
Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky, Ozil, Giroud
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