Matchreport
2-1: Miki and Lewa strike in the "Emirates" - and BVB party in London
Borussia Dortmund won their first game in England for 17 years to take first place in Group F of the Champions League. The third matchday saw last season´s runners-up win courtesy of goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Robert Lewandowski away to Arsenal which saw coach Jürgen Klopp celebrating in the stands after 93 exciting minutes of play.
Boris Rupert reports from London
A sold out Emirates stadium housing 60,011 saw a very classy game unfold following Mkhitaryan´s opener after 15 minutes with goalmouth action aplenty. Giroud´s equaliser just before half-time was thoroughly deserved but Lewandowski secured the win with just nine minutes remaining to send the 5,000 BVB fans into an ecstasy on a warm autumn evening in London.
The Scenario:
This season marks 16 consecutive Champions League seasons for the Gunners, a record only bettered by the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United. Arsenal came into the game on the back of victories over Marseille (2-1) and Napoli (2-0) and currently top the Premier League for the first time since 2009. Borussia Dortmund, second in the Bundesliga, had to take defeat on the chin in Naples (1-2) following a 3-0 win over Marseille. BVB´s last win on English soil had come in 1996 in Manchester.
Personnel Matters:
BVB started with the same eleven that played in Naples. Schmelzer returned to the starting line-up after three weeks out through injury which meant that Durm took a place on the bench. Sokratis joined him there having stepped in for the suspended Hummels against Hannover and Aubameyang also had to make way for the return to the starting eleven of Kuba. However, BVB were still without the services of Kehl, Gündogan and Piszczek. With Flamini out, Ramsey switched to defensive midfield allowing Rosicky to come in up the park. For the home side, injuries deprived them of Walcott, Podolski and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Tactics:
Both teams started in a 4-2-3-1 formation but Ramsey was all too often found in advanced positions when Arsenal had possession. It should be said, though that despite a formation that hinted at an attacking approach, Arsenal operated from deep positions. It seemed, therefore, that Borussia´s most recent Champions League performances were clearly influencing Arsenal´s approach.
The Game and Analysis:
The travelling 5,000 BVB fans ensured that the game started in a splendid atmosphere and the team responded by taking command after the opening cagey exchanges. By the halfway mark of the first period BVB had notched up four chances before a Koscielny header caused mild concern for Weidenfeller. The header followed a free-kick given against Hummels as he brought down Giroud, the Frenchman having blatantly checked Schmelzer to gain possession.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan takes aim to give BVB a 1-0 lead over Arsenal.
By then, BVB were already a goal up, however. Reus, having had the first notable shot on goal after 11 minutes following fine work by Hummels and Kuba, now tackled Ramsey as he tried to break into midfield and swiftly squared the ball to Lewandowski. The Pole reacted quickly and, seeing Mkhitaryan better placed, slipped the ball on to the Armenian who duly sent a crisply struck drive into the bottom right hand corner. 1-0 to BVB after 16 minutes.
Now a goal behind, the English league-leaders gave up on their ´safety-first´ approach and began to attack with pace and guile. On the half hour Willshire was in on goal only to be thwarted by Weidenfeller; then Schmelzer was forced into a hasty clearance and soon after Rosicky was firing a shot in from 25 yards out which, had Hummels not been standing on the line behind Weidenfeller, would have found the net.
Arsenal finally equalised just three minutes later when a Sagna cross from the right in behind the BVB defence caused confusion between Subotic and Weidenfeller resulting in Giiroud shovelling home the rebound to make it 1-1 after 41 minutes.
Marco Reus in a duel with Kieran Gibbs
BVB began the second half the stronger team passing the ball well and displaying a tactical maturity. The final pass, though, remained elusive and so, Klopp (Buvac) opted to introduce Hofmann and Aubameyang for Mkhitaryan and Kuba after 65 minutes. The message was clear: one point wasn´t enough! But the next big chance came at the other end when Carzola latched onto a square ball just outside the box and sent a wicked curling shot onto the angle of crossbar and post. To be fair, that pretty much summed up the game at this stage with BVB enjoying possession but Arsenal more dangerous in front of goal.
And soon the home side was turning the screw as the game entered the final 15 minutes. Rosicky now began to exert some authority in midfield and it seemed Arsenal were finishing the stronger as the heavens opened. But, pretty much against the run of play, BVB won the game courtesy of a fine move down the right with Aubameyang releasing Großkreutz whose measured cross picked out the late-arriving Lewandowski allowing the Pole to finish with extreme prejudice!
The BVB fans went berserk as, with just eight minutes to go, their team was once again winning on English soil! Borussia now sought to put the game to bed with Sokratis replacing Reus whilst Arsenal brought on a second striker in the shape of Bendtner. BVB were not, though, to be denied and duly secured a vital victory.
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Prospects:
On Wednesday 6 November these teams meet again at the Signal Iduna Park. Before then, BVB visit Schalke 04 on Saturday (kick-off 1530CET) and then host VfB Stuttgart on Friday 1 November at 2030CET.