Match ends, Borussia Dortmund 2, Arsenal 0.
- Arsenal manage just four shots
- Aubameyang scores one and hits bar
- Teenager Bellerin starts for Gunners
- Arsenal at home to Galatasaray next
Arsenal's Champions League Group D campaign got off to a poor start as Borussia Dortmund scored either side of half-time to secure a deserved victory.
Ciro Immobile opened the scoring after powering past Laurent Koscielny to beat Wojciech Szczesny with a low finish.
Dortmund doubled their lead when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finished another fine breakaway.
Aubameyang also hit the bar, while Danny Welbeck wasted Arsenal's best chance when clean through.
Former Arsenal striker John Hartson on BBC Radio 5 live: |
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"Arsenal papered over the cracks last season, winning the FA Cup and just sneaking into the top four. Their performances against the big teams in the past few years have been unacceptable. They could have conceded five or six against Dortmund. Without overreacting, it was a really woeful defensive performance from Arsenal." |
Arsenal, competing at this stage of the Champions League for the 17th year in a row, have progressed to the knockout rounds before despite losing their opening group game.
But they will have to improve significantly after a woeful display in which they were outfought and outplayed for long periods at Signal Iduna Park.
The Gunners arrived in Germany unbeaten in their previous six visits to the country.
Yet Dortmund, who had 22 shots compared to Arsenal's four, should have won by a more handsome scoreline after a careless performance by Arsene Wenger's side.
The visitors, missing defenders Nacho Monreal, Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers, fielded 19-year-old full-back Hector Bellerin, whose only previous senior outing was a 26-minute substitute appearance in a League Cup tie.
Along with his team-mates, the Spaniard, who spent three months of last season on loan in the Championship at Watford, spent most of the first half on the back foot.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Henrikh Mkhitaryan had already let the Gunners off the hook with some wasteful finishing before Immobile broke the deadlock in the 45th minute.
It came after Arsenal conceded possession on the edge of the Dortmund area, a long clearance finding former Torino forward Immobile, who kept his composure before finding the net with a low angled finish after gliding past Koscielny.
Shortly before Immobile's opener, Welbeck - on his second Gunners appearance since joining from Manchester United - dragged a wonderful chance wide from inside the area after clever play by Aaron Ramsey.
It was to prove a costly miss. The second half was just three minutes old when Aubameyang skipped round Szczesny to bundle the ball over the line after the Gunners keeper and Per Mertesacker got in each other's way.
Aubameyang rattled the bar with a rising shot from the edge of the area after Arsenal's defence was again hopelessly exposed by another swift German counter-attack.
Defeat leaves the Gunners bottom of the group after Galatasaray and Anderlecht drew 1-1.
Line-ups
B Dortmund
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Weidenfeller
- 4Subotic
- 29SchmelzerSubstituted forJojicat 79'minutes
- 37Durm
- 25Papastathopoulos
- 19Großkreutz
- 10MkhitaryanBooked at 5mins
- 5KehlSubstituted forGinterat 45'minutes
- 6Bender
- 17Aubameyang
- 9ImmobileSubstituted forRamosat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Kagawa
- 14Jojic
- 20Ramos
- 22Langerak
- 28Ginter
- 35Bandowski
- 41Amini
Arsenal
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Szczesny
- 3Gibbs
- 6Koscielny
- 39Bellerín
- 4Mertesacker
- 17Sánchez
- 11ÖzilBooked at 54minsSubstituted forOxlade-Chamberlainat 62'minutes
- 16RamseySubstituted forCazorlaat 62'minutes
- 10WilshereBooked at 88mins
- 8ArtetaSubstituted forPodolskiat 77'minutes
- 23Welbeck
Substitutes
- 7Rosicky
- 9Podolski
- 13Ospina
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 19Cazorla
- 21Chambers
- 28Campbell
- Referee:
- Olegário Benquerença
- Attendance:
- 65,851
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home23
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away1
- Corners
- Home7
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away16
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Borussia Dortmund 2, Arsenal 0.
Post update
Foul by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal).
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Sokratis (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).
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Adrián Ramos (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal).
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Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt missed. Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Milos Jojic following a corner.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution
Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Adrián Ramos replaces Ciro Immobile.
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Delay in match Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) because of an injury.
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Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Attempt blocked. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund) because of an injury.
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Hand ball by Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund).
Substitution
Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Milos Jojic replaces Marcel Schmelzer.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Lukas Podolski replaces Mikel Arteta.