Mesut Özil: It felt like Dortmund were playing with 12 men

Mesut Özil has spoken of his admiration for Borussia Dortmund’s playing style despite his Arsenal side coming away from the Westfalenstadion with all three points last night to top Group F.

In a bid to applaud his own fans, he posted a comment on his official Facebook page telling supporters how important they were, and that spirits were high in Arsenal’s camp. The former Real Madrid playmaker went on to say just how hard it was playing against the German side, stating it was like ‘playing against 12 men’.

Dortmund, known for the relentless pressure they put on their opponents, were looking like early contenders for the Champions League crown after beating Arsenal in their own backyard last time out. However, last night was a different story and despite controlling for much of the game they showed a lack of composure in the final third, failing to break through a dogged Arsenal defence.

Özil, usually so influential in Arsenal’s play, was left isolated for much of the night and completed just 69% of his 54 passes, a stark contrast to Saturday’s victory over Liverpool that saw him complete nearly double this (72 out of 84). The short amount of time Özil spent on the ball highlights Arsene Wenger’s tactics for the game; to sit back and hit Dortmund on the counter attack rather than trying to control the play and be punished when Jurgen Klopp’s pressing style forces a player into a mistake. It worked a treat for Arsenal, who are now favourites to progress to the knockout stages for the 11th season in a row.

Although his passing was sloppy against Dortmund, Özil shone when it came to taking his opponents on, successfully completing 4 of his 5 attempted take-ons.

Mesut Özil Take-Ons v Dortmund