Dortmund - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said the Gunners must contain Poland striker Robert Lewandowski in Wednesday's Champions League clash at Borussia Dortmund in their bid to stay top of Group F.
Lewandowski netted the crucial 82nd-minute goal which sealed Dortmund's impressive 2-1 victory at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium a fortnight ago to throw the group wide open.
Having become the first player to score four goals in a Champions League semi-final, Lewandowski warmed up for Arsenal with an 18-minute hat-trick in Friday's 6-1 Bundesliga rout of VfB Stuttgart.
“Usually at home, Lewandowski is quite dangerous and the best way to keep him quiet is by controlling the ball,” said Wenger.
“We want to control possession and we want to control the game.”
With Arsenal, Dortmund and Napoli all level on six points, the Gunners top the table on goal difference and having lost to Dortmund in London, Wenger's side is desperate to win the return.
“We definitely want to win after losing at home,” said Wenger.
“Dortmund is a very positive side, so at least you have a guarantee that both teams will be trying to win the game.”
In the build-up to the match, Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, a heavy metal-fan, described Wenger as having organised Arsenal into a finely-tuned “orchestra” and the Frenchman continued the musical analogy.
“I am not a music specialist, but Dortmund are a very good team, so we should see a good symphony,” quipped Wenger.
The showdown at Dortmund's Westfalenstadion promises to be a high-quality confrontation between the Premier League leaders and Borussia, who are second only to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund bounced back from their opening 2-1 defeat at Napoli with a 3-0 home win over Marseille before beating Arsenal in London, but Germany winger Marco Reus said Borussia can take nothing for granted.
“We have improved since Napoli, but you can't compare this to the (German) league, this is the Champions League and the smallest mistake will be punished,” said Reus.
“It will be another 50-50 match, I believe we produced a great performance in London and will have to do so again.”
According to Klopp, Germany centre-back Mats Hummels is “97.5 percent” sure to miss the game with back and thigh injuries.
Left-back Marcel Schmelzer could feature having played 70 minutes of the Stuttgart victory after struggling with a hamstring injury.
Sapa-AFP