Borussia Dortmund have missed the chance to secure the group victory in the UEFA Champions League. On Wednesday night, the Black and Yellows lost 2-0 (1-0) away to Arsenal which leaves them just two points ahead of the Londoners going into their last group game against Anderlecht on December 9.

It was, though, a refereeing error that set BVB on the road to defeat in front of 59,902 in the Emirates Stadium. Sanogo’s goal on 2 minutes really ought to have been chalked off for offside but Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai didn’t put the whistle to his lips. Mkhitaryan had a great chance on 39 minutes to equalise but instead Arsenal stretched their lead courtesy of an Alexis Sanchez goal from the edge of the box on 57 minutes.

Felix Ulrich reports from London

The Scenario:

BVB came into the game having already assured their progress into the next round of the competition having won all four of their games scoring 13 goals and conceding just the one. The next round of matches are scheduled for the middle of February and Arsenal were still chasing qualification for the next phase. The only thing that had still to be decided was whether BVB would go through in first or second place. A point at the Emirates would be enough to secure first place in the group. The two teams had met on seven previous occasions in the competition and with both teams having won three games and sharing 16 goals honours were even. BVB had won the home tie 2-0.

image
Marcl Schmelzer replaced Erik Durm in London.

Personnel Matters:

Hummels, Sokratis, Blaszczykowski and Ji were all unavailable for selection. Sven Bender was back, while Nuri Sahin and Oliver Kirch, however, travelled with the team yet did not make it into the squad for the match. There were four changes from the team that started the 2-2 draw in Paderborn at the weekend with Ciro Immobile ( a scorer in the first game) making his first start since late October against St Pauli. Sven Bender replaced Kehl, Schmelzer came in for Durm and Kevin Grosskreutz took the place of the injured Reus in the starting eleven.

Arsene Wenger made three changes to his side which had lost at home to Manchester United at the weekend. Emiliano Martinez, Santi Cazorla and Yaya Sanogo (making his debut at 19 years) replaced Szczesny, Wilshire and Welbeck (all injured). Olivier Giroud, whilst fit again, was not in the squad having not been registered for the competition in the summer.

Tactics:

The hosts started in a 4-3-3 formation in response to BVB’s regular 4-2-3-1 system. Sanogo was up front in the middle with Alexis Sanchez and Oxlade-Chamberlain switching from flank to flank alongside him. When BVB had the ball they dropped deep to offer cover for the full-backs. This meant that space was at a premium when BVB had possession.

The Game and Analysis:

It has been quite some week for ‘offside’ goals. A Grosskreutz goal was denied a goal when clearly in an onside position in the 2-2 draw at Paderborn and this evening, the ‘Black n Yellows’ had to endure a goal scored by Sanogo from a clearly offside position after just 75 seconds. The 19-year-old, making his CL debut, should have seen his goal, laid on by Cazorla, ruled out for offside but the goal stood to become the quickest goal BVB had ever conceded in the Champions League.

Jürgen Klopp’s men, though, recovered well from this early setback. The rest of the first half was evenly contested and BVB managed three attempts on goal while enjoying 44% of possession and winning 48% of challenges.

That BVB were denied a goal in that first half was down to the very clever way Arsenal were set up, making space tight whenever BVB had the ball. But the longer the game went on the more BVB came into the game and created chances. Immobile had the first on 19 minutes, then two minutes later Mkhitaryan fired high over the bar. The Black n Yellows’ best chance came in the closing stages of the first half. Gündogan crossed for Piszczek who nodded on to Mkhitaryan who unleashed a shot which Arsenal ‘keeper Martinez just managed to scramble into the side netting.

image
Piszczek and Alexis Sanchez battle for possession.

The second half saw the home side start the better with Weidenfeller having to be at his best to deny Alexis Sanchez on 51 minutes. Three minutes later the bar saved BVB from going two down when Oxlade Chamberlain rattled the woodwork from the edge of the box.

With Arsenal now more and more on the front foot, it came as no surprise when, a few minutes later Arsenal did stretch their lead. Alexis Sanchez, who had been a thorn in the side of the BVB defence all evening, pulled wide left and upon receiving the ball drifted in onto his right foot at the edge of the box and, taking advantage of the space afforded him by Piszczek and Subotic, curled a delightful right-foot shot beyond Weidenfeller into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

image
Aubameyang scored at home against Arsenal, but it was not his night tonight.

Jürgen Klopp reacted immediately bringing on Kagawa and Ramos for Aubameyang and Immobile but these attacking changes did not really change the course of the game. BVB continued to strive for a goal, but that was all they did, strive. Any real belief that they could come back into it was missing as was, perhaps, the final will.

Oxlade-Chamberlain almost made it 3-0 on 76 minutes but his shot flashed over the bar. At the other end Adrian Ramos was unlucky to be denied by Martinez in time added on but it remained 2-0 to Arsenal as BVB suffered their first Champions League defeat since going down 0-3 to Real Madrid on April 2.

Teams & Goals

UEFA Champions League, Matchday 5
ARSENAL FC – BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2-0 (1-0)

Arsenal FC: Martinez –Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs – Ramsey, Arteta, Santi Cazorla – Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanogo, Sanchez
Bor. Dortmund: Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Subotic, Ginter, Schmelzer – Gündogan, Bender - Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Großkreutz – Immobile
Substitutions: 66. Flamini for Arteta, 79. Podolski for Sanogo, 90. Campbell for Oxlade-Chamberlain - 61. Kagawa and Ramos for Immobile and Aubameyang, 79. Podolski for Sanogo
Goals: 1-0 Sanogo (2., Cazorla), 2-0 Sanchez (57., Cazorla),
Corners: 6-3 (HT 4-1), Chances: 5-3 (2-2)
Referee: Kassai (HUN), Yellow cards: Arteta – Subotic, Piszczek
Attendance: 59,902 (sold out), Weather: rainy, 7 degrees

Prospects:

BVB travel to Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday (kick off 1730 CET) in the Bundesliga and then host TSG Hoffenheim at the Signal Iduna Park on December 5. They then host Anderlecht in their final group game on the 9th. Tickets for this penultimate home game of the year are still available for this match from the usual outlets.