“Arsenal can win the Champions League” – Klopp

Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp, has said that Arsenal can go on to win the Champions League, if they avoid Bayern Munich.

Klopp watched on as the Gunners defeated his team 1-0 at home on Wednesday, thanks to Aaron Ramsey’s second-half header and he is of the opinion they can go all the way.

“Yes (Arsenal can win the Champions League). They are young, healthy and good technicians,” he said.

“They won a clever game tonight and could go to the final and win it – as long as they don’t play against Bayern Munich.”

Reflecting on the match, where they feel to convert their chances, Klopp explained: “We had 11 shots before they scored and sometimes it was like they were defending with four legs, but football is a game of results,” he said.

Flamini to miss Borussia Dortmund clash

The Arsenal midfielder suffered a concussion following a clash with Alexander Tettey on Saturday so Arsene Wenger has decided to leave the player out of the Champions League game



Arsenal will be without Mathieu Flamini for the visit of Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The French midfielder was substituted after 37 minutes of Saturday's 4-1 Premier League victory over Norwich City following a clash of heads with Alexander Tettey.

And, despite the 29-year-old training on Monday, manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he will not feature for the visit of Jurgen Klopp's men.

"Flamini is doing well," he told reporters. "He's practiced normally, but we won't play him [on Tuesday]. There is a five-day rule [with concussion] that we will respect."

Wenger also claimed that the clash with last season's runners-up would not be the deciding factor in who wins Group F and insisted his side will go into the game without fear after an impressive start to the season.

"It is not a decider but it's an important one," he added. "It's an 80 per cent game."

"The feel-good factor is down to the quality of the spirit of the team, the solidarity of the players, and their desire to do well.

"We know we are a team that looks for being of course successful, for that you need a special hunger and I believe these players have a special hunger.

"What is important is that we go into the game and focus on our quality, on our performance. For me that is more important than focusing on Dortmund.

"[We want to] come out of the game tomorrow and feel that we have played at our best. If we do we will be difficult to handle for everybody."

And on the subject of his own German contingent, which includes record-signing Mesut Ozil, the French manager said: "Germans have a reputation for being 100 per cent professional and we have not been disappointed."

The loss of Flamini will come as an added blow to Arsenal, with Theo Walcott having been ruled out for a further three matches following a setback in his recovery from abdominal surgery
.

Dortmund right to keep Lewandowski, says Watzke

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke believes the club's record profit last season mean
they were right not to sell Robert Lewandowski. A run to the Champions League final and the sale
of Mario Gotze to Bayern Munich resulted in BVB
making a net profit of €51.2 million last season,
with revenue rising to €305m for the year.
The latter figure represented an astonishing 86
per cent season rise compared to the previous year - another record high for the club. "In the end, my conclusion is that; I do not want
to be too positive but I think that Borussia
Dortmund are well positioned for the future,"
Watzke told reporters. "But we know as well that we are now in a crucial
phase in terms of our sustainability in the sport. "That is the only reason we have not sold Robert
Lewandowski. All of us at the club - [general
manager] Michael Zorc, Jurgen Klopp, me, the
management and all other bodies - were all in
agreement, because we want to bring the best
possible team to the pitch this year. "Therefore we had to make compromises." Lewandowski, who reportedly has received a €3.5
million pay rise last week, was frustrated
throughout the close-season as the club, he
claimed, reneged on a deal which would see him
move to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich. However, the 25-year-old, who is in the final year
of his contract, has drawn a line underneath the
dispute and says he is ready to play for Dortmund.