Dortmund To Capitalise On Arsenal`s Makeshift Defence

Arsene Wenger`s Arsenal travel to Borussia Dortmund`s Signal Iduna Park tonight in the teams` opening Champions League Group D game.

The away side`s expectations should be tempered. It has been a month since the Gunners last tasted victory in the Premier League (a 2-1 over Crystal Palace) and must look to overcome this faltering form with something of a makeshift defence.

Conversely, Jurgen Klopp`s Dortmund are undefeated in two Bundeslegia matches, hitting three past both FC Augsburg and SC Freiburg. Starting the season with a 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen saw heads in the camp drop though BVB have thrived on the newly acquired confidence of striker Adrian Ramos. The Colombian has scored two goals in as many games to see BVB sit fourth in their domestic table.

Klopp`s men have also been buoyed by the smooth reintegration of Japanese attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa, who returned to the club where he won back-to-back Bundesliga titles after an uneventful two season spell at Manchester United. The 25-year-old scored and provided an assist for Ramos in Saturday`s (13th September) 3-1 overturning of Freiburg on his reappearance for the club.

Describing Kagawa`s second debut as `extraordinary`, manager Klopp added that he will assess the player`s fitness ahead of the Arsenal game. Coral have made Kagawa 7/2 to score at anytime against the Gunners, something he failed to do whilst playing in England. The former Asian Football Confederation International Player of the Year made only one appearance in United`s four league matches against their long time rivals.

The mountain Arsenal has to climb is best represented by Coral`s odds of 3/1 on an away victory. In opposition, the German side are 11/10 with most bookmakers to open their Group D account with a win. Eleven to four (bet365, Betvictor, boylesports) says that Arsenal will make it three draws in successive games in all competitions. It will be something of a homecoming for Wenger`s number four Per Mertesacker, one of only three fully-fit first-team defenders. The 29-year-old Hanover-born centre-back will be partnered by Laurent Koscielny whilst Kieran Gibbs is expected replace Nacho Monreal at left-back. The former Malaga star is currently consigned to the physio`s room with a niggling back problem.

Arsenal`s injury worries have been further compounded with 19-year-old Calum Chambers, a summer signing from Southampton, struck down with tonsillitis. The hot prospect was touted to fill-in for Matieu Debuchy, the Frenchman picking up a suspension after receiving two yellow cards in the team`s 1-0 win over Turkish side Beskitas. Stretchered off with a sprained ankle in the Gunners` last game against Manchester City means Debuchy might not return to the squad for up to three months.

Should Chambers still be feeling the effects of the inflammation, right-back responsibilities would fall to pacy former Watford loanee Hector Bellerin. In his pre-match press conference, Wenger described the 19-year-old as being `a boy with personality` who isn`t fazed by pressure.

Such last minute changes, however, won`t be of any help to the North London side and could make the lives of the Germans` already dangerous strikeforce much easier. Both Stan James and Betbright have Ramos 15/8 to bag himself a third goal in consecutive games, whilst Bwin have the 28-year-old priced at 23/2 to score two or more goals. Last season saw Arsenal on the end of a number of big match disciplinings, but will they capitulate against BVB tonight? For Dortmund to score three without reply is 21/1 with Betvictor, the same bookmaker having 15/1 on a second 3-1 win in three days for the German side. A number of other turf accounts (Coral, Skybet, sportingbet, william hill) join Betvictor in offering 22/1 on a 3-2 home win.

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16/09/2014     © Frixo 2024