Jurgen Klopp says Borussia Dortmund have “more problems” than Arsenal but wants to focus fully on continuing their impressive run in the Uefa Champions League when the face Arsenal in London on Wednesday evening.
The Westfalendians let slip a 2-0 half-time lead to draw at SC Paderborn on Saturday; a result which sees them sit 16th in the German top flight with just three wins from 12 matches ( D2; L7).
But with maximum points from four games in Europe, Dortmund have already guaranteed passage into the round of 16 and need just a point from their final two games to finish as group winners.
“We have pressure too. Not maybe in this competition, but we have a big target,” Klopp disclosed in his pre-match press briefing on Tuesday. “We want to go through in first position.
“But in Germany we have big pressure. In the last six games we played four very good halves and two very bad halves. Those two bad halves were enough to lose us those games.
“Tonight I cannot change the Bundesliga problem. Tonight is like a holiday for me. It is ‘only’ the Champions League. I have pressure though, of course I do. Everybody has pressure.”
Arsenal, on their own part, have made their worst ever Premier League start, with 17 points from the opening 12 rounds of matches this season. The Gunners, in the meantime, need a point to reach the last 16 for a 15th consecutive season.
The 47-year-old added: “I don’t know so much about the situation of Arsenal and English football. I don’t know what people think here, I don’t know what they want to be.
“Everybody thinks this is the perfect moment to go through. Arsenal have some injuries but we have many more injuries and problems. It’s not interesting to compare.”
The Germans will be without some key players like midfielders Marco Reus (ankle), Sven Bendtner (hip), and Oliver Kirch (thigh), while defenders Sokratis Papastathopoulos (calf) and Mats Hummels (ankle) are unavailable for selection.
Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud is fit but not enlisted for this round of matches because he was not expected to return so early from injury. Goalkeepers David Ospina (thigh), Wojciech Szczęsny (hip), midfielders Theo Walcott (groin) Jack Wilshere (ankle), Abou Diaby (calf), defender Mathieu Debuchy (ankle) are out.
Striker Danny Welbeck, who turns 24 today, is doubtful with hamstring problems.
Klopp was impressed by the first-half showing by Arsene Wenger’s men during their home loss to Manchester United and, warns they won’t wait for Arsenal to take the game to them like they did at the Emirate Stadium at the weekend.
“It’s not my plan to relax,” he said. “We will see what we will do here. We need each game to get more stability.
“We have to use this game for the Bundesliga. We need stability and that is our problem up to now. If we play well then it will help us in the Bundesliga.
“We don’t want to wait and see what (Arsenal) will do. We saw the game against Manchester United. We saw the first half and I think everyone in this room knows Arsenal were much better and made a real good game.
“That’s football but I could see in the first half that they were pretty strong if you let them be strong.”
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