UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - GROUP STAGE
BORUSSIA DORTMUND v ARSENAL
Today's match of the day in Uefa Champions League will be held at 21.45 on Signal-Iduna-Park between Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal. I expect a spectacular game as usually happened in their confrontations. These two big clubs of Europe were divided for the third time in the last four years in the same group and the balance was evident each time. At the last visit on this arena, Arsenal won by one goal (1-0), which gives great confidence for Wenger's team, but the Germans are definitely very motivated to get payback.
The match will be controlled by a Portuguese referee, Olegario
Benquerenca, who has a wide experience, with FIFA badge since 2001. He is
leaving the game, a way which favors the football show and seems quite suitable
for this kind of game. Interestingly, he led Arsenal in two Champions League
travels in Udinese and Marseille, both parties being won by the English.
Borussia Dortmund started the new
season well, with German Super Cup won in front of rival Bayern. Then came the
shock in the first round of the Bundesliga, when Bayer Leverkusen gave a harsh
defeat right in their own arena (0-2), but "yellow-blacks" have
passed quickly over that result by winning the next two games against Augsburg
and Freiburg.
For Dortmund is a new season
with many injuries, missing today : Hummels, Reus, Błaszczykowski, Gundogan,
Kirch, Sahin and Ji, and Klopp is forced to improvise. Ciro Immobile and Aubameyang have passed over
the little injuries, they played in the end of the last championship game and
are viable solutions. Jurgen Klopp has expressed concern at a press conference,
saying he has only 15 able-bodied players, but as we know he will find
unexpected good solutions. Shinji Kagawa has played and scored again in black
and yellow shirt. Adrian Ramos will play in front, who seems to have found his
rhythm after a few weaker games. Germans are favorites by bookmakers odds, but
the game is extraordinarily difficult, especially since Borussia showed
defensive fragility in this season debut. They received at least one goal in
every championship game, even from modest SV Spielberg in the German Cup.
Arsenal is unbeaten in the new
season, which started with a huge victory against Manchester City(3-0) in
Community Shield game. This weekend they played once again with City, the game
finished with a draw (2-2), they missed on the final all three points, but the
morale is excellent. Arsenal was forced to play a preliminary round in the
Champions League, going through against Turkish side, Besiktas Istambul .
"The Gunners" seems
much stronger than in previous seasons, the newcomers Alexis Sanchez, Danny
Welbeck and Mathieu Debuchy blending perfectly into the team. The last was
injured recently, however, and will not be part of the roster, his place in the
right lane will be picked up today from another purchase, Calum Chambers. It
further adds to the list of injury problems Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott.
There are, however, very good news from this point of view. Mikel Arteta and
Kieran Gibbs apparently have been recovered and will be on the ground. Ozil is
playing very poor after week individual performane at the World Cup, but it
seems that it will be still in the ground tonight. The difference can be made
today by their strong bench players, Arsene Wenger having solutions such as
Rosicky, Monreal, Chamberlain or Podolski, while his opponent is again forced
to turn to the second team.
The French coach said he knows
very well what has to be do in order to get a good result at Dortmund and we
expect an offensive approach from the guests. At the end of the match with
Manchester City, defender Mertesacker said he expects to undergo a huge push by
the Germans, but has confidence that the team will win, especially since some
important players are back into the first eleven.
If you want to check in details the teams last results, click on this link :
Probable line-ups :
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1) :
Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Subotic, Sokratis, Durm - S. Bender, Kehl - H.
Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Grosskreutz - RamosArsenal (4-2-3-1) : Szczesny - Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs - Ramsey, Arteta - A. Sanchez, Wilshere, Ozil – Welbeck
This game is extremely balanced with two similar teams from
all points of view. They met regularly in recent editions of the Champions
League, they know each-other very well, so they can hardly surprise. A draw is
likely, but Arsenal looks much stronger than in previous years and I believe
they can even get the victory. The defence of Borussia showed major weakness at
the beginning of the season and in such a confrontation no mistake is forgiven.
Arsenal haven't lost any official game official, and the good performance in
the derby with Manchester City gives great confidence to players, especially
that in the first 11 will appear again Arteta and Gibbs. Wenger has a lot of
solutions in all compartments, while Klopp is always forced to make changes in
the first eleven, and this is visible in their game. Overall, Arsenal is better
this season and start taking into account that has been strengthened
considerably in the summer break, I don't believe they will lose this game.
- Draw or Arsenal - 1.85 | ✖
- both teams to score - 1.61 | ✖
- over 2.5 goals - 1.70 | ✖
- Arsenal over 1.5 - 2.75 | ✖
- Welbeck to score - 3.10 | ✖
Probable line-ups :
Juventus: Buffon – Caceres, Chiellini, Bonucci,
Lichtsteiner – Asamoah, Marchisio, Pogba, Evra - Llorente, Tevez
Malmo: Olsen - Concha, Tinnerholm, Konate, Helander,
Halsti - Adu, Forsberg, Eriksson, Thelin – Rosenberg
- correct score 1-0,2-0 or 3-0 - 2.40 | ✓
- Tevez to score first - 4.00 | ✓
Probable line-ups :
Olympiakos (4-2-3-1): Roberto- Salino, Botia, Abidal,
Masuaku- Ndinga, Durmaz- Kasami, Dominguez, Afellay- Diamantakos
Atletico (4-4-2) : Moya- Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Siqueira- Koke, Tiago,
Gabi, Arda - Mandzukic, Griezmann
- Draw - 3.40 | ✖
Probable line-ups :
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mignolet- Manquillo, Lovren,
Sakho, Moreno- Henderson, Gerrard- Sterling, Coutinho, Lallana- Balotelli
Ludogorets (4-2-3-1) : Argilashki- Caicara, Terziev,
Moți, Minev- Dyakov, Espinho- Aleksandrov, Marcelinho, Misidjan- Bezjak
- correct score 1-0,2-0 or 3-0 - 2.70 | ✖
- Liverpool to score a penalty - 4.50 | ✓
REAL MADRID v BASEL
Probable line-ups :
Real (4-3-3) : Casillas- Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo-
Kroos, Modric, James- Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale
Basel (4-2-3-1) : Valcik- Degen, Schar, Samuel, Safari- Zuffi, Xhaka-
Gonzales, Frei, Gashi- Streller
- correct score 2-1, 3-1 or 4-1 - 4.00 | ✖
- both teams to score - 2.25 | ✓
Probable line-ups :
Benfica (4-2-3-1) : Moraes - Pereira, Luisao, Jardel,
Eliseu - Samaris, Perez - Salvio, Talisca, Gaitan - Lima
Zenit (4-2-3-1) : Lodygin - Smolnikov, Garay,
Lombaerts, Criscito - Witsel, Javi Garcia - Hulk, Shatov, Danny - Rondon
- both teams to score - 1.83 | ✖
- Draw - 3.60 | ✖
Probable line-ups :
AS Monaco (4-3-3) : Subasic - Dirar, Raggi, Carvalho,
Kurzawa - Moutinho, Toulalan, Kondogbia - Carrasco, Berbatov, Ocampos
Leverkusen (4-2-3-1) : Leno - Jedvaj, Toprak, Spahic, Boenisch - Castro,
Bender - Bellarabi, Calhanoglu, Son – Kiessling
- Leverkusen to win & both teams to score - 4.33 | ✖
- Kiessling to score - 2.20 | ✖
Probable line-ups :
Galatasaray (4-3-1-2) : Muslera - Sari, Kaya, Chedjou,
Balta - Dzemaili, Melo, Inan - Sneijder - Pandev, Yilmaz
Anderlecht (4-4-1-1) : Roef - Collin, Nuytinck, Mangulu, Deschacht -
Najar, Tielemans, Defour, Acheampong - Praet - Mitrovic
- Galatasaray to win by one goal - 3.60 | ✖
- Yilmaz to score - 2.60 | ✓
You're really working hard today.
ReplyDeleteStrange results yesterday... My percentage is low(around 30%), especially because Arsenal played very poor... but I played very high odds and I hit a few bankers : 2.60, 2.25, 4.50, 4.00, 2.40...
ReplyDelete