London calling ... again

The boys are back in town! It seems like we have been to London more often than any other city in the last couple of years. It’s time to scare the Gunners again.

Where to start? Normally, this is a match nobody should be really interested in: We are having trouble in the league and that’s what we should be worrying about. There not that much to lose against Arsenal (except of a few extra quid). Frankfurt on Sunday is the real big match for us. How do we cope with all the injured players again? Blablabla… And still, everyone loves to see the team. We are all fired up; people are enthusiastic about going to London to see our BVB play. So, let’s forget about Bundesliga for a moment and just enjoy. When was the last time a BVB side did so well in the Champions League that we did not have to worry about the outcome of the match because we are already through to the next round?

Let’s face the facts:
1. We are in the round of the last 16, no matter what!
2. A win or a draw would make us win the group!
3. A defeat with less than two goals difference and a draw against Anderlecht would be enough to win the group.
4. A defeat tomorrow and a win against Anderlecht, guess what, winning the group!
5. Arsenal will lose the last group match anyways… as usual.

That is a very comfortable position and something I cannot even grasp at the moment. Two worlds colliding, darkness in the Bundesliga and sunshine in the Champions League. Let’s enjoy this situation and gather some more great moments. We’ll need to gain this momentum for the next weeks.

Reus, Sokratis, Hummels are still missing and needed more than ever before. The attacking power of Reus, the defensive resoluteness of Sokratis and the creativity from the defensive line of Hummels, all qualities that cannot be replaced easily. Whenever they got injured something got cracked – either the match or in Sokratis’ case his fibula. The situation in the Bundesliga is not helping the replacements either. So what’s best for the Arsenal match? Is it to be used as a playground or a laboratory for experiments in order to regain our way to play and our self-confidence? Luckily, I am not the one to decide who’s gonna be playing. We need the best to be ready for Sunday but we need them to connect as well. Is that possible? Klopp will know!

Arsenal on the other hand is in a similar position as well. It does not really work for them in the league. Though being some places higher in the table than we are, fans are moaning and think that Wenger is not the best choice anymore. Some injured players won’t be helpful in this situation either. Nonetheless, the Gunners are quite safely in the next round as well.

We’ll see what these omens will mean for the match. The outcome to us Borussen may be hurtful or cheerful, yet nothing to worry too much about. Strange feeling right before the world’s biggest club competition!

Possible line-ups:

Arsenal London:
Szczesny – Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs – Ramsey, Arteta, Santi Cazorla – Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck, A.Sanchez

Borussia Dortmund:
Weidenfeller – Durm, Ginter, Subotic, Piszczek – Kehl, Bender - Aubameyang, Kagawa, Mkhitaryan – Immobile

Seb, 25.11.2014