Borussia Dortmund are about to embark on their fourth consecutive season in the UEFA Champions League and for the third time since 2011 Arsenal are a Group-stage opponent. The games against Galatasaray and RSC Anderlecht will awaken memories from a more distant Black n Yellow era.

 

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The pictures in the papers were still in black and white when Borussia Dortmund met RSC Anderlecht in the third round of the old UEFA Cup. The first game took place in Belgium on 28 November 1980 and the Black n Yellows managed to keep a clean sheet until the 75th minute when substitute Vanderlinden finally breached the defensive wall and ‘keeper Wolfgang de Beer to score the only goal of the game. That meant the BVB had a good chance of progressing but their chances would have been even better had the goal been disallowed as it should have been because as the ball went in a Belgian forward was standing on de Beer’s thigh!

40,000 gathered in the Westfalenstadion and were as one behind their heroes even after the Belgians went further ahead in the tie courtesy of a goal from van Baeckel on 36 minutes. Central defender Sergej Gorlutowicz equalised on the night just three minutes later and a goal by Michael Zorc ensured an exciting finish with BVB having twelve minutes plus any time-added-on to get the winning goal but de Wilde in the Anderlecht goal could not be beaten and so, for that season BVB’s European tour ended on 12 December 1990.

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Reina in action versus Galatasaray's Hagi
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Borussia Dortmund have met Galatasaray twice before. In the 1997-98 Champions League group phase BVB won both games. A goal from Stephane Chapuisat was enough to win the game on the banks of the Bosporus while in the return in Dortmund goals from Vladimir But, Heiko Herrlich and two more from Michael Zorc saw the home side to a 4-1 win. Two and a half years later the teams met again when BVB dropped into the Europa League after their Champions League exit. Borussia had already seen off Glasgow Rangers in the previous round (on penalties) but the games against Galatasaray pretty much summed up a disappointing 1999-2000 season. The game in Dortmund almost felt like an away game with the majority of the 52,400 crowd firmly behind the visitors and their Turkish heroes rewarded them with a deserved 2-0 win with goals from Hakan Sukur and Georgi Hagi. The return leg finished goalless.

For the fourth time ever and for the third time on the last four years Borussia will meet Arsenal. Last season Borussia emerged from their group as winners having won 2-1 at the Emirates (goals from Lewandowski and Mkhitaryan) but lost the home game somewhat unfortunately 1-0 to an Aaron Ramsey goal. During BVB’s return to Europe’s elite league in 2011-12 a late Ivan Perisic goal cancelled out van Persie’s strike to win a deserved point but in the return two further goals from van Persie meant that Kagawa’s 90th minute strike was to no avail. Nine years earlier Borussia had lost 2-0 at Highbury before two Thomas Rosicky goals gave them a 2-1 win at home.

Galatasaray

The club on the banks of the Bosporus is the most successful and popular club in Turkish history with 19 Championships and 15 Cup wins to their credit. Their best season in Europe was in 2000 when Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup before going on to win the Supercup as well. Their home ground (since 2011) is the Turk Telecom-Arena which has a capacity of 52,600.

RSC Anderlecht

The reigning Belgian Champions have won the title 33 times. The club won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1976 (defeating West Ham in the final) and 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1983. The team play their home games in the Constant-Vanden-Stock stadium which was built in 1917 and holds 28,361 spectators.

Arsenal

This is the north-east London’s club 17th consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League. The club has been English Champions 13 times and FA Cup winners eleven so are at the very forefront of the English game. The “Gunners” have only one European success to their name; the Cup Winners Cup in 1994. They play at the Emirates Stadium (capacity 60,355). Boris Rupert