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Dortmund logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 16, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Arsenal logo

2-0

Immobile (45'), Aubameyang (48')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs. Arsenal

Sports Mole previews Tuesday's Champions League Group D clash between Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal in Germany.

Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal have been drawn into the same Champions League section for the third time in four seasons and their first group match of the 2014-15 campaign will take place in Germany on Tuesday evening.

Last season, Dortmund won 2-1 in London, but lost 1-0 to the Gunners on their own patch. Both teams finished level on points with Napoli, but the German outfit topped the group, with Arsenal finishing in second position.

Dortmund were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Real Madrid last season after overcoming Zenit St Petersburg in the round of 16, while Arsenal went out to Bayern Munich at the first knockout stage.

The Bundesliga side, who finished as runners-up two years ago and won the competition in 1997, are in their tenth group-stage campaign, but they face an Arsenal team that has now been in the group stages of the competition for the last 17 seasons.

The Gunners needed a two-legged playoff to advance into the group stages, with a 1-0 aggregate success over Besiktas enough for Arsene Wenger's side to advance.

Arsenal's away record in the competition is also strong, with five wins from their last 10 on the road. However, the Premier League side have won just one of their four league games so far this season.

Dortmund, meanwhile, have started their Bundesliga campaign with two wins and a defeat.

The home side will be without the services of Jakub Blaszczykowski, Ilkay Gundogan, Oliver Kirch, Nuri Sahin and Marco Reus, who are all still on the sidelines with injuries.

Mats Hummels could also miss out after picking up a muscle strain, with the German international due to face a late fitness test on Monday. Shinji Kagawa is expected to start his first Champions League match since returning to Dortmund, while there could also be a place in attack for Ciro Immobile.

Arsenal would have been without Frenchman Mathieu Debuchy regardless of the right-back's recent injury, following his red card against Besiktas last time out. Theo Walcott also remains unavailable for the Gunners, while Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey are both seen as doubts due to ankle problems.

The latter is expected to start, however, with Danny Welbeck also keeping his place in the team. Calum Chambers will come in at right-back, while Mikel Arteta could also return to captain the XI.

Recent form

Dortmund: WWLWW

Arsenal: DDWDD

Possible starting lineups

Dortmund: Weidenfeller; Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Durm; Kehl, Groskreutz; Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Ramos; Immobile

Arsenal: Szczesny; Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Wilshere, Arteta, Ramsey; Sanchez, Welbeck, Cazorla

Sports Mole says: 2-1


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Matt Law
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Manchester United playmaker Shinji Kagawa celebrates scoring for Japan against South Korea on August 10, 2011.
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