Wenger set for Champions League scrap

After watching his team ease through their Champions League play-off tie against Fenerbahce, Arsene Wenger will now be reacquainted with the edgier side of Europe's elite competition.

In order to reach the round of 16, Arsenal will have to navigate their way past three tricky opponents in Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Marseille.

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Lewandowski trapped as Dortmund refuse to budge

 

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski’s future remains the topic of fierce speculation as BVB attempt to hold onto the Poland international.

The 24-year-old enjoyed a stellar season last time out scoring 36 times in all competitions for Dortmund to become one of Europe’s hottest properties.

Dortmund have recently insisted they will not allow the striker to move to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich this summer, although they have stopped short of ruling out at summer exit entirely.

Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been linked with Lewandowski but for the moment at least, the striker seems to be going nowhere.

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Can Dortmund stop the Bayern Munich juggernaut?

 

The Champions League final at Wembley Stadium is just a day away, and the big question is: can Borussia Dortmund stop the Bayern Munich juggernaut?

Jupp Heynckes' side has been simply unstoppable this season, romping to the Bundesliga title with a record points tally, booking a place in the DFB Pokal final against Stuttgart and demolishing the mighty Barcelona over two legs on their way to the final.

Dortmund, meanwhile, surprised many by negotiating their way out of a group featuring Manchester City, Ajax and Real Madrid, before eliminating the Spanish giants in the knockout stages.

Jurgen Klopp's men finished a staggering 24 points behind Bayern in second place in the league, but both domestic meetings between the two have ended as 1-1 draws.

Can Klopp mastermind a victory over the German powerhouse, even without the injured Mario Gotze? 

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Bayern & Dortmund given licence to thrill

 

There are only three days until the Champions League final, with two excellent German teams ready to take the field in London.

With Bayern's buying up of star players - including Dortmund's main-man Mario Gotze - one could be forgiven for seeing the Bundesliga champions as some sort of supervillain.

Will Dortmund, led by "Klopp... Jurgen Klopp..." be ready to shoot down Jupp Henyckes' side? Or, after being defeated in the final in two of the previous three years, is it a case of 'You Only Lose Twice' for Bayern?

One thing is for sure: both teams have a licence to thrill! 

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Heynckes and Klopp play Guess Who

 

Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich faced off in a Bundesliga dead rubber on Saturday afternoon in a dress rehearsal for the Champions League final later this month.

But both BVB boss Jurgen Klopp and die Roten manager Jupp Heynckes played around with their team selections, carefully avoiding giving too much away ahead of their European encounter.

Star players such as Mats Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek, Marco Reus and Sven Bender were rested for the home side, while Bayern made eight changes from the team that beat Barcelona in midweek.

And so with both managers keeping their cards extremely close to their chest, who knows how the teams will line up at Wembley... 

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Madrid need Ronaldo magic to keep Champions League dream alive

 

After a whirlwind 4-1 pasting from Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, Real Madrid are on the ropes.

Their dream of 'La Decima' needs a miracle to be revived and Jose Mourinho will be turning to his talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, for inspiration as the Santiago Bernabeu hosts the crucial return fixture.

Will the Portuguese be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat or will BVB make Madrid's trophy hopes disappear? 

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Robin Hood Lewandowski makes mockery of Madrid

 

Robbing from the rich to give to the poor. That's what Jurgen Klopp said his side were doing after their thrilling 4-1 demolition of Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

It has been a trying couple of days for Klopp after the news broke of Mario Gotze's impending move to fierce rivals Bayern Munich, but in Robert Lewandowski, the Borussia manager truly has an astonishing marksman.

The Polish striker took down Jose Mourinho and his side with ruthless finishing as he bagged all four goals for the hosts in front of a rapturous Dortmund crowd. 

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Dortmund - Malaga given Hollywood finale

 

In one of the most enthralling endings to a Champions League tie, Dortmund secured a place in the semi-finals after two injury-time strikes saw off Malaga.

Joaquin and a superb Robert Lewandowski effort set up a tense second half but it was the Spanish club who looked set for a semi-final spot after Eliseu struck in the 82nd minute.

But there was more to come from the match as Marco Reus netted in the 91st minute before Felipe Santana popped up with the decisive goal just moments before the final whistle.

"Up until now, our story has been like a Hollywood movie - hopefully it will have a Hollywood ending," Dortmund defender Neven Subotic told Uefa.

"This is the craziest moment in all of my footballing career. It has been a special match for everybody - for us and the fans." 

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