Goals from Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang condemned Arsenal to a 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League Group D opener this evening.
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The home side had a fast start to the game as they put the Gunners on the back foot from the first whistle. Henrikh Mkhitaryan thought he had a good case for a penalty when he was brought down in the area by Mikel Arteta, but was booked for simulation.
Wojciech Szczesny was forced into action for the first time in the 26th minute when the German side made an incisive break down the left. Kevin Grosskreutz crossed into the middle for Aubameyang, but he hit his shot straight at the Gunners stopper.
Dortmund continued their assault on the Arsenal goal and Immobile's cross from the left wasn't gathered by Szczesny. The loose ball fell to Mkhitaryan six yards from the net but Jack Wilshere did enough to put the midfielder off, as he blasted his shot over the bar.
Arsenal should have gone ahead when Aaron Ramsey managed to thread a pass through to Danny Welbeck on the edge of the box, but the England international scuffed his effort, which failed to threaten Roman Weidenfeller's goal.
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The home side took the lead on the stroke of half time when Immobile received the ball down the right and raided into the box before firing an effort low into the bottom corner past Szczesny.
In the second half, Dortmund extended their lead in the 48th minute when Grosskreutz released the run of Aubameyang down the middle, and he managed to edge past Szczesny and slot an effort into the net.
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Jurgen Klopp's side almost got a third goal when Mkhitaryan raided forward and then cut the ball back to Immobile, who powered an effort at goal from a tight angle but Szczesny tipped his shot over.
The home side were all over the Gunners and they nearly hit the visitors on the break again when Aubameyang raced down the right and powered a shot at goal, but his effort clattered off the crossbar.
Mkhitaryan went close for Dortmund as he raced through on goal following a mistake by Arteta but he blazed his shot over, while Welbeck endured the same fate at the other end as he put his effort off target, which ended a miserable night for the Gunners.
Simon Sinclair
