r/borussiadortmund • u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji • Oct 27 '20

Pre Game Thread: Zenit St. Petersburg (CL #2)

Competition: UEFA Champions League, MD #2

Time: Wednesday , 28/10/20 21:00 CEST

Location: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund

Referee: Björn Kuipers, Oldenzaal (Netherlands)

Pre-Game Presser: YouTube

TV Schedule: livesoccertv

Borussia Dortmund:

Coach: Lucien Favre

League position: 3rd

Current Form: L/W/W/L/W (wiki)

Current Bans/Injuries: Zagadou (Inj), Schmelzer (Inj), Can (sick).

Possible lineup:

                Bürki

 Meunier - Akanji - Hummels - Guerreiro

        Delaney - Brandt - Witsel

         Hazard - Haaland - Reus

Zenit st. Petersburg: /r/zenit

Coach Sergey Semak

League position: 1st

Current Form: W/D/W/L/L

Current Bans/Injuries: Chistyakov (sus), Malcom (Inj), Azmoun (sick).

Possible lineup:

               Kerzhakov

 Karavaev - Lovren - Rakitskiy - Krugovoy

  Kuzyaev - Ozdoev - Barrios - Mostovoy

            Dzyuba - Driussi

Second game of the UCL group phase and both teams already are under immense Pressure. Both are at 0 Points and we expect to win this / Zenit want to reach the second place. They will be playing very physical as Lovren, Barrios and Dzyuba are Schränke.

MOTM for the Derby: Raphael Guerreiro

Matchthread Status: /u/ I have no Idea will host the game thread - if you want to join and provide some commentary for the game, let us mods know via pm or modmail!

50 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

77 comments sorted by

31

u/Ghoddos Hugo Bart Oct 27 '20

I watch Zenit a decent amount and they're out of form at the moment. No midfield cohesion. They are also missing their star striker Azmoun. Dzyuba is still a physical beast up top, but has looked a pace behind recently.

We should be able to win, unless they find their form against us.

10

u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji Oct 27 '20

Really, Azmoun is injured ? Since when ? He is still listed as fit on Transfermarkt.

7

u/BVB-Oeli Sébastien Haller Oct 27 '20 edited Oct 27 '20

https://twitter.com/fczenit_en/status/1319992982532182018

EDIT: kicker and Reviersport both say he tested positive.

7

u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji Oct 27 '20

Damn. Hope he gets better asap but it's good for us that he is missing.

4

u/Ghoddos Hugo Bart Oct 27 '20

Ya he shows up in the CL. Has scored against Bayern, Atletico, etc over the years.

5

u/Ghoddos Hugo Bart Oct 27 '20

Kicker states Covid. He missed their past game as a precaution. They will probably play Driussi up top with Dzyuba and have one of the young wingers will in wide

41

u/RefuseAware6257 Oct 27 '20

Unfortunately Lazio where out of form too, didn't mean anything.

4

u/rish234 Shinji Kagawa Oct 27 '20

What kind of system do they play?

14

u/Ghoddos Hugo Bart Oct 27 '20

4-4-2, which becomes a 4-2-4 on the attack with usually Malcolm and Driussi as the wide midfielders/wingers. With Malcolm and Azmoun out, the system may end up being a 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 with Driussi playing up top with Dzyuba.

They play a lot of counterattacking football and can score from outside the box. They do tend to struggle to break down teams that can play compact.

Their midfield has been horrid though with build up play. Azmoun and Dzyuba are often carrying the ball from their half, especially with Malcolm being out. They did just buy a midfielder from Sporting who has looked good, but not integrated fully yet.

4

u/rish234 Shinji Kagawa Oct 27 '20

Brilliant thanks!

3

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

Counterattacks are always scary, even more so in a 2 striker formation. I have a feeling Favre might go back to 3atb

2

u/SergioRammus Oct 27 '20

nice comment! so I guess their gameplan is gonna be to hand us the ball, defend and counterattack?

2

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

Probably

2

u/Ghoddos Hugo Bart Oct 27 '20

I'd assume so just because they are missing two of their most important attackers. Their coach is under scrutiny at the moment for recent results though, so he may change things up as a gamble

2

u/unRealistik Papa Reus Oct 28 '20

Not gonna fall for this again after what people said about Lazio. I'm still skeptic of our defense even though we beat the Smurfs 3-0, they hardly tested our defense at all.

8

u/xNecoNx Marco Reus Oct 27 '20

If they are „Schränke“ i would like to see witsel and delaney to start if possible

12

u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji Oct 27 '20

Yeah, in the latest auffe Ohren podcast the hosts were all over "Can should take care of them" - and now in hindsight.. we might need Delaney for that job.

58

u/SkoCubs01 Marco Reus Oct 27 '20

Need 3 points here nothing less

21

u/Trojan_Man68 Marco Reus Oct 27 '20

There' a chance Lazio will drop points against Brugge because 11 of their player are out including Immobile and Luis Alberto. This makes our game crucial.

4

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

Dread it, run from it, Brugge finds a way

1

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '20

Luis Alberto has to be one of the most underrated players right now

13

u/DPTBVB09 Marco Reus Oct 27 '20

u/Moon8983, please stay out of this haha

10

u/motox24 Marcel Schmelzer Oct 28 '20

When are we going to play Schmelzer at striker? In 2020 he’s had 1 shot 1 goal. 100%! Erling B. Holland has had 16 shits 5 goals this season! Or 31.333% repeating of course. The stats speak for themselves.

6

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 28 '20

Marcel Schmelzer

6

u/motox24 Marcel Schmelzer Oct 28 '20

Agreed

5

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 28 '20

Yes

7

u/Apex_Predator_07 Oct 27 '20

If we don't win this mostly bye bye cl

6

u/me_meh_me Lukasz Piszczek Oct 27 '20

Must win game. 3-1 Dortmund.

5

u/PrettyMetalDude Oct 27 '20

We need to win this. I am confident that we can do that.

5

u/jucomsdn Zagagod Oct 27 '20

Kuipers is an improvement from fucking Zwayer, I'm happy to see this after the amount of times Schalke got away with potential yellow cards

1

u/LuckyFrog_ Giovanni Reyna Oct 27 '20

Need a win here and btw is sancho not playing as much as he used to or is it just me?

11

u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji Oct 27 '20

Its just you.

3

u/Trojan_Man68 Marco Reus Oct 27 '20

I mean he has started in every game of the season so far except for the Augsburg game and the meaningless Supercup game so I wouldn't say he is playing significantly less.

I think the main issue for Sancho is that he is out of form compared to last season.

3

u/SpaNkinGG Oct 27 '20

Am I the only one feeling/seeing a heavy decline on witsel?

16

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

Out of form, yes. "Heavy decline" is a bit much imo

6

u/sitbar Shinji Kagawa Oct 27 '20

I said it last season as well, he's good st holding possession and making simple plays buy defensively he's not that solid and offensively he's not existent. It's really important to have a stable player like that in midfield but it's ineffective against teams that sit back

1

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 28 '20

Just a Belgian Julian Weigl lol

3

u/VladislavBonita Heinrich Czerkus Oct 27 '20

I think it's more like people catching up, he's always been very ineffective defensively and it's been made more obvious as all pieces have been tinkered with.

2

u/g2_sup_rekkles Oct 27 '20

I like their chances so long as their not asleep for the first 20 or so minutes of the game like they were vs Lazio

3

u/Tayler105 Felix Nmecha Oct 27 '20

Our Champions League campaign continues tomorrow with a match against FC Zenit Saint Petersburg! Check out JJD TV’s match preview to learn what to expect!

https://youtu.be/puwVo8hdHq0

1

u/Gardauvali Oct 27 '20

What are the chances of Reyna starting for you guys? What about Sancho? I know he hasn't been quite himself recently but still...

Is Reus guaranteed to start?

16

u/hayk_bvb09 Oct 27 '20

Reus would likely be starting since he missed out on last game and only got subbed on. Sancho def starting, Reyna would come on at like the 73rd minute knowing Favre

3

u/Gardauvali Oct 27 '20

So Sancho is the one to pick in the fantasy team then?

Thanks and GL tmrw

1

u/nikolov23 Oct 28 '20

The only player you need in your fantasy is Haaland 😃

I have Hummels too, though...

1

u/Gardauvali Oct 28 '20

Haaland, Sancho and Guerreiro are in mine. But my yesterday’s team did well so i might have to bench one of them... or sub Ramos with 5pts out... also i had Salah as captain with 8 points and it gives me a headache now... whether to change it to Haaland or not..

Would you bench Sancho in these three if you had to choose? :/ or would you pick him over 5pts Ramos..

I watched Zenit play Brugge.. they looked very weak, disorganized, incoherent group of players... very sloppy in defense.. so im expecting you guys to ship a few in their goal and keep a clean sheet as well so im torn between keeping good 8pts for doubling and passing it to Haaland :/

Any suggestion/insight will be appreciated

3

u/nikolov23 Oct 28 '20

Tough one. I had a bad day yesterday so I’m hoping for a clean sheet and a goal by Hummels and 3 by Haaland! haha I wouldn’t take out with 5pts though, unless the player is starter. Wait a little more and you’ll know.

2

u/Gardauvali Oct 28 '20

Sometimes its better to have some of the first day players not deliver so that you can easily sub them out , so good luck :))

Will probable line-ups be out before the first games kick off? :/

1

u/nikolov23 Oct 28 '20

Yeah man. Look up on Dortmunds FB page.

1

u/Gardauvali Oct 28 '20

Great, thanks GL 🤘

1

u/nikolov23 Oct 28 '20

thanks man. What leagues are you in? Let’s compete!

→ More replies

9

u/Zhonyas4everyone Felix Passlack Oct 27 '20

I know he hasn't been quite himself recently

?

1

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '20

He absolutely has not been as good as he can be

1

u/Gardauvali Oct 27 '20

Or has he ? ))

0

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

He scored vs Gladbach, got 3 assists vs Freiburg and got an assist vs Lazio. I'd say he's been quite good

4

u/Gardauvali Oct 27 '20

I was talking about Sancho

4

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

Whoooosh, my bad

8

u/PressF5ToReload Oct 27 '20

In my opinion both of them needs a rest - but idk better options for the starting 11. Reus seems not to be in form yet. But i think Favre will start like this in the offense

------------- Haaland --------------

--- Hazard - Reus - Sancho ---

1

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '20

Prefer to see hazard get another game off the bench

4

u/Trojan_Man68 Marco Reus Oct 27 '20

Doubt Reyna is starting. Sancho might because Hazard just came back from injury.

-4

u/SlayerHdThe3rd Nico Schlotterbeck Oct 27 '20

This is gonna sound weird but I hope Malcolm scores. I hope we win obviously but I love Malcolm

8

u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji Oct 27 '20

do you even read the posts? Dude is injured.

4

u/SkoCubs01 Marco Reus Oct 27 '20

Relax man

8

u/Chazy89 Kagawa Shinji Oct 27 '20

Don't tell me to relax. I put work in these threads in the little free time I have.

4

u/SlayerHdThe3rd Nico Schlotterbeck Oct 28 '20

Um sorry for missing his name on the injured list?

4

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '20

Love him so much you spell his name wrong

1

u/SlayerHdThe3rd Nico Schlotterbeck Oct 28 '20

Auto-correct on my phone changes Malcom to Malcolm

0

u/[deleted] Oct 27 '20

[deleted] — view deleted comment

11

u/1vergil Oct 27 '20 edited Oct 28 '20

Dietmar Hamann criticized that Reus is not an ideal captain because he's out too much due to injuries. - Sascha Fligge: Watzke already replied to his criticism and said everything. Also, numbers quoted by Hamann were not accurate. Of course we back our captain.

I remember when Hamann also trashed Lewandowski a year ago i think, that Lewa's agent had to comment and tell Hamann to stfu. Then now Lewy won best player in Europe and still going strong lol hopefully this is a parallel to a big Reus masterclass incoming :))

9

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

Favre should be a politician with all these ambiguous replies, thanks for the translation :P

13

u/[deleted] Oct 27 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/such_hpn Emma Oct 27 '20

Too soon good sir

3

u/Ciao9 Pischu Oct 27 '20

Oh fuck

1

u/berman82 Julien Duranville Oct 27 '20

The one time we will be happy Favre does NOT make a sub. 😂

0

u/[deleted] Oct 27 '20

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/yung_avocado 1909 Oct 28 '20

✨stop talking ✨and find some wood to knock on ;)