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Eager Dortmund anticipating Arsenal showdown

Jürgen Klopp says Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal FC hold no surprises for each other while Arsène Wenger is expecting a "symphony" in their pivotal Group F fixture.

Eager Dortmund anticipating Arsenal showdown
Eager Dortmund anticipating Arsenal showdown ©UEFA.com

Borussia Dortmund's victory at Arsenal FC two weeks ago has left the top three teams in UEFA Champions League Group F locked together on six points, although Jürgen Klopp acknowledges that match might easily have gone the other way. While the home coach wants the German club to "bring our qualities", Arsène Wenger is asking the visitors to show a "different level" from the last fixture.

Dortmund
Jürgen Klopp, coach
I don't think it's possible to surprise anyone at this level any more. If we find our game, that could also suit the way Arsenal play. But in the match in London there were also moments where they [Arsenal] did manage to find that tiny gap and where small things could have made a difference. Just think about the moment Santi Cazorla hit the bar. I am sure we will not be surprised by Arsenal's quality and I don't believe they will be surprised by us.

I don't have the impression that Arsenal are more dangerous away from home than at their own stadium – they are strong home and away. I saw their match at Bayern München last season, it was tightly contested right to the finish. We spoke about this game in our dressing room, as it showed you have to stay focused all the time. How we cope with them depends on us. If they prove stronger away than they were at home then it will also have been down to us. When we bring our qualities on the pitch, it is certainly not easy to play us here.

Weekend result
Friday: Dortmund 6-1 VfB Stuttgart (Sokratis 19, Reus 22, Lewandowski 54 56 72, Aubameyang 81; Haggui 13)
Weidenfeller; Grosskreutz, Papastathopoulos, Hummels, Schmelzer (Durm 71); Bender, Şahin; Błaszczykowski, Mkhitaryan (Schieber 76), Reus (Aubameyang 59); Lewandowski.

• Robert Lewandowski struck his fourth hat-trick for Dortmund. Sokratis Papastathopoulos was also on target with his first goal for the club, cancelling out the visitors' opener in what was Roman Weidenfeller's 300th Bundesliga game

Team news
Sebastian Kehl has been unavailable since sustaining an ankle ligament injury in practice on 15 September, but is back in training. Łukasz Piszczek, out till at least the end of November, had hip and groin surgery during the summer. İlkay Gündoğan has been sidelined since mid-August due to compression of the spine. "There is a 97.5% chance that Mats Hummels will not be available due to hamstring problems," said Klopp. "It looks a lot better for Marcel Schmelzer, he should be fit."

Arsenal
Arsène Wenger, manager
Dortmund are a very good football team and so are Arsenal – so we should see a good symphony. We play to win everywhere. We have a positive attitude in our approach to the game.

Dortmund are a very positive side, we are a very positive side, so at least you have the guarantee that two teams will try to win the game. I don't know if this will be a decisive match – it also depends what happens between Marseille and Napoli – but it is a very important match for us now, because we lost at home and now have to win the away games.

We try to win every away game, which gives us strength and motivation. We had a few problems at home, but I hope those are over given we won the Liverpool match. [Robert] Lewandowski is quite dangerous at home, but it is down to us to control the ball, that's the best way to keep them quiet. We try to control the game and have the ball.

We want to do well in all competitions. The fact that we have five points' edge in the Premier League does not mean we don't want to be successful in the Champions League as well.

We maybe lost the first game because we wanted to absolutely win it at all costs and we exposed ourselves. It was a midfield battle and we got caught on the counterattack because we were all up front and were not happy with the draw. It will strengthen the resolve of my team to come out and show a different level.

Weekend result
Saturday: Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool FC (Cazorla 19, Ramsey 59)
Szczęsny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs (Vermaelen 78); Rosický (Monreal 72), Arteta; Ramsey, Cazorla (Jenkinson 84), Özil; Giroud.

• Arsenal established a five-point lead at the Premier League summit with victory over their nearest challengers.

Team news
Theo Walcott has not played since having an operation on his abdomen on 25 September. Abou Diaby has been laid off since March with a knee injury; Lukas Podolski (hamstring) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) are also absent. Jack Wilshere misses out as he rolled his left ankle in training on Thursday.

Match fact
• This is the second time in three seasons the sides have been in the same UEFA Champions League group. They met on opening night in 2011/12, when Robin van Persie pointed the Gunners towards victory in Germany before Ivan Perišić volleyed a superb late equaliser.

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