Sammer hails rampant Rosický

BV Borussia Dortmund coach Matthias Sammer singled out Tomáš Rosický for praise after the Czech midfield player had scored the penalty that defeated Arsenal FC 2-1 at the Westfalenstadion to book his side's place in the second group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

Nerves of steel
"Tomáš has got his head right despite only being a young player," Sammer said. "The way he kept his nerve when he took the penalty was great and his free-kick was very important for us as well."

Rosický turns the game
After falling behind to a Thierry Henry free-kick, Rosický turned the game in Dortmund's favour with a free-kick of his own that deflected off the head of Gilberto and into the Arsenal goal. Rosický then supplied the through-ball to Jan Koller that led to his match-winning penalty early in the second half.

'Developed as a team'
To Sammer, Rosický's performance was indicative of the progress the German champions have made this year. "Last season we didn't make it to the next round and it shows that we have developed as a team," Sammer said. "But in football you have to take it one game at a time. We have a very young team and they still have to learn."

Cool heads
Lars Ricken and Koller both hit the post before Dortmund bounced back from the shock of falling behind against the run of play, and Sammer was impressed by his side's determination. "We did really well because there are easier situations than hitting the post twice and going a goal down against a team like Arsenal," Sammer said. "But we kept our cool and managed to come back. Therefore it was a tremendous performance. The club has achieved something really big today.

Confidence
"I wasn't all that unhappy when the shot from Lars Ricken and the header from Jan Koller bounced off the post," Sammer added. "I knew that if we continued to push forward we would get the result we needed because we were playing well as a team."

Arsenal through
Despite the defeat, their fourth in succession in all competitions, Arsenal join Dortmund in the second round as PSV Eindhoven's 3-0 victory over AJ Auxerre ended the French side's challenge in Group A. For Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, however, qualification was soured by referee Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzales' decision to award Dortmund a penalty for David Seaman's challenge on Koller.

Crucial decision
"With the game looking flat it took a bad decision from the referee to decide the match," Wenger said. "It was a clear dive by Koller. From a side that accused us of diving it was a good return. I feel hard done by," Wenger added. "Dortmund only managed to create two chances in the first half. After the break I can't remember a single real chance and it is frustrating to lose this way."
 
Case for the defence
Wenger did, however, draw strength from the form shown by his back four. "The defenders looked really sharp today and they deserve a lot of credit," he said. "As I said, Dortmund hardly created a chance and that just shows the good work they did."