Ozil has good feeling about Dortmund meeting

• by Soccer America , Oct 21, 2013

[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Matchday 3] Arsenal takes a 12-game unbeaten streak into its UEFA Champions League clash with 2013 runner-up Borussia Dortmund, having opened up a two-point lead in the English Premier League and won its first two Champions League group stage matches. Arsenal's new star, German Mesut Ozil, says the Gunners have a lot going for them against Dortmund, a team he knows well.

Last season with Real Madrid, Ozil faced Dortmund four times, losing both times in Germany, tying at home in the group stage and winning, 2-0, at home in the semifinals, a result that was not enough to overcome the 4-1 loss in the first leg.

He can't wait to face Dortmund again for two reasons.

"Firstly, a lot of good friends of mine play in the Dortmund team," he said. "I look forward to meeting them in Champions League. Secondly, even if it did not run perfectly for Real against Dortmund, I scored or set up a goal in nearly every game against a German side, that gives me a good feeling. Moreover, we play the first game in London. That's an advantage."

The two wins to open group play put Arsenal in a good position to advance to the knockout stage for the 14th straight year, but Ozil says the job is not done yet.

"Arsenal have shown their strength in the past, and now we have ripened," he said. "We are aware of our class. If we can show that, we could have nine points after three games."

Arsenal is coming off a 4-1 win over Norwich City on Saturday. Ozil scored twice but the goal of a game came from Jack Wilshire off passes from Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud.

“I've got to praise the three players involved for the first goal,” Ozil told arsenal.com. “It was real 'tiki taka' -- almost like they were playing PlayStation. It was an unbelievable goal.”

Ozil, who has scored goals in four of his five games in October for Arsenal and Germany, says he and his Arsenal teammates can still improve.

"We know what we can do," he said, "but we won't get carried away. We just enjoy playing and it shows on the pitch."

The Arsenal fans, who clamored for a high-profile signing, are happy the club signed Ozil.

"It was an emotional experience for me [hearing the fans chanting his name]," he said after the Norwich game. "I had goosebumps when I heard. I'm so thankful to the fans, who have supported both myself and the whole team."

UCL SCHEDULE: Tuesday
FOX SPORTS 1
AC MILAN-BARCELONA (live) 2:30 pm.

FOX SPORTS 2
SCHALKE-CHELSEA (live) 2:30 pm.
ARSENAL-BORUSSIA DORTMUND (delay) 8 pm.

FOX SOCCER PLUS
ARSENAL-BORUSSIA DORTMUND (live) 2:30 pm.
AC MILAN-BARCELONA (delay) 5 pm.
SCHALKE-CHELSEA (delay) 8 pm.
CELTIC-AJAX (delay) 10 pm.

FOX DEPORTES
AC MILAN-BARCELONA (live) 2:30 pm.
ARSENAL-BORUSSIA DORTMUND (delay) 5 pm.
MARSEILLE-NAPOLI (delay) 7 pm.

UCL SCHEDULE: Wednesday

FOX SPORTS 1
CSKA MOSCOW-MANCHESTER CITY (live) Noon.
MANCHESTER UNITED-REAL SOCIEDAD (live) 2:30 pm.

FOX SPORTS 2
REAL MADRID-JUVENTUS (live) 2:30 pm.

FOX SOCCER PLUS
BAYERN MUNICH-VIKTORIA PLZEN (live) 2:30 pm.
MANCHESTER UNITED-REAL SOCIEDAD (delay) 5 pm.
REAL MADRID-JUVENTUS (delay) 10 pm.
CSKA MOSCOW-MANCHESTER CITY (delay) Midnight.

FOX DEPORTES
CSKA MOSCOW-MANCHESTER CITY (live) noon.
REAL MADRID-JUVENTUS (live) 2:30 pm.
MANCHESTER UNITED-REAL SOCIEDAD (delay) 5 pm.