The 2011–12 season saw Borussia Dortmund at their peak!
Since the start of the 21st century, the Black and Yellows had gone through a long period of decline—
even facing the brink of bankruptcy.
At a time when fans and pundits alike believed Dortmund might never recover...
In 2008, Jürgen Klopp arrived at Signal Iduna Park.
From that moment on, a new era for Dortmund began!
Just last season, in 2010–11,
the Black and Yellows surpassed Bayern Munich, the dominant "Southern Kings,"
and claimed the Bundesliga title for the first time in nine years!
And according to the timeline, Dortmund would go on to win the Bundesliga again this season—
even reaching the Champions League final in the following campaign.
For the past two to three years, Dortmund had risen to become a top-tier European power!
In the Bundesliga, they had even dominated Bayern.
As the Champions League group stage clash between Arsenal and Dortmund approached,
media from all over Europe buzzed with anticipation.
Unlike the recent match against Milan,
this time Arsenal's opponent was a team just like them—
Young. Hungry. Fierce.
Both were known as "Youth Guards" in their respective leagues.
This was a showdown of youth-driven storms on the grand stage of the Champions League!
German media began building the hype.
At the same time, fans from Japan were growing excited.
Their national star Shinji Kagawa had been a key player in Dortmund's title-winning season.
This year as well, he remained one of their core midfielders.
Fans from Japan were feeling bold:
"Korean Son Heung-min was completely destroyed by Kai,
but our Kagawa won't be!"
"Kagawa-kun was the midfield hero who helped Dortmund win the Bundesliga.
He'll definitely shut down Kai in this match!"
Meanwhile, across Asia, many Chinese fans had become devoted supporters of Kai.
And they fired back fiercely online at the Japanese fans:
"Been gone a few days and you're already getting cocky again?"
"Shinji Kagawa is just a workhorse midfielder.
How can he even be compared to a genius like Kai, a future Ballon d'Or winner?"
"If even Pirlo was dominated by Kai, you think Kagawa stands a chance?"
"Wait for kickoff—you'll see Kagawa won't even be worthy of eating Kai's dust!"
The Asian fanbase was ablaze with tension and excitement.
On the other side, English media weren't backing down either in the face of German hype.
Both nations' football media began battling it out before a ball had even been kicked.
Meanwhile…
At Colney Training Centre, ahead of the clash with Dortmund—
Steve Rice was outlining the tactical approach to the squad.
"Klopp is a devout believer in high-pressing,"
he explained.
"His football philosophy can be summed up in one word:
Run."
"Run like mad. Run until you can't run anymore."
"If Barcelona pass the ball into the net, then Dortmund literally run the ball into the net."
After Rice's breakdown, Wenger got straight to the point:
"This match will be a fierce head-to-head battle of attacking football."
Hearing that, the Arsenal players didn't feel intimidated—
on the contrary, they were fired up!
A shootout?
This season, Arsenal had feared no one when it came to attacking football!
Their firepower this year had been nothing short of nuclear—
Over 30 goals in just six Premier League matches!
Across all of Europe, no other team could compare to Arsenal's attacking might!
Kai clapped his hands and grinned:
"Looks like it's time to teach a Bundesliga team a lesson!"
The mood at Colney turned red-hot.
Walcott roared like a young bull:
"Captain's right! Dortmund want to go blade-to-blade with us?
They're asking for it!"
Van Persie's eyes were gleaming:
"I'll show Lewandowski who Europe's top striker really is!"
Every Arsenal player was burning with fighting spirit.
Eyes ablaze. Determination absolute.
"A head-on battle? Bring it on!
Let Dortmund see who the real Youth Storm is!"
September 28th!
The feverish Champions League matchday had arrived once again!
It was time for Round 2 of the group stage.
The battle was about to begin!
The entire Arsenal squad boarded their flight to Germany—
destination: North Rhine-Westphalia.
Waiting for them there…
Was the stadium known as the most fearsome fortress in world football:
Signal Iduna Park.
Home of the Black and Yellows, Borussia Dortmund!
Arsenal's team bus slowly rolled into Dortmund city.
Under the cover of night,
a wild sea of yellow surged through the streets and alleyways.
The deafening roars of fans made one's ears ring.
Everywhere were die-hard Dortmund fans wearing home kits,
their chants echoing through the air.
Masses of people flowed toward the stadium—
surrounding the Arsenal bus until there was barely space to move.
"Heja, BVB!"
"Heja, BVB!"
Under the dark North Rhine sky,
Dortmund fans shouted their team's slogan at the top of their lungs.
A clash of titans was about to begin!
Before the match,
Dortmund legend Zorc publicly declared:
"This young Dortmund squad is unstoppable!
They're serious contenders for this year's Champions League title."
"Arsenal doesn't play the same kind of football.
The English always oversimplify everything.
They don't play with the same relentless, all-out effort as Klopp's teams.
Once the match starts, Arsenal will quickly fall behind!"
His words sent Dortmund fans into a frenzy.
Yes, Arsenal's form this season had been monstrous—
but Dortmund were just as untouchable in the Bundesliga.
Their midfield prodigy, Mario Götze,
was a leading contender for the Golden Boy Award this year.
Dortmund fans firmly believed—
That compared to last year's Golden Boy winner, Kai,
Götze's talent and agility were every bit as impressive!
At the pre-match press conference,
Jürgen Klopp appeared with Götze at his side.
"Arsenal plays beautiful football," Klopp said.
"But they've forgotten the essence of the game.
Football is about movement.
In my eyes, Arsenal's players are still too lazy."
The German media buzzed with excitement.
They quickly shifted the spotlight to Götze, asking for his opinion on Kai.
Götze took a deep breath and said:
"His passing is sharp, his organization is clean, and his attacking ability is solid…
But I have all of those qualities too."
"And I will be the one to personally hand Arsenal their first defeat of the season!"
The press exchanged gleeful looks—
Their Golden Boy was burning with competitive spirit.
That had to be a good sign.
Under the North Rhine night sky…
As the clock struck 8:00 PM local time,
Signal Iduna Park came alive with a terrifying intensity!
Over 80,000 fans packed into Europe's most intimidating stadium.
The famous South Stand (Südtribüne) exploded with life—
25,000 fans in one section alone.
The German media erupted.
The South Stand at Signal Iduna Park was, after all,
the largest single-tiered stand in all of Europe.
Just that one stand alone could hold as many people
as the entire capacity of many other clubs' home grounds.
On the sideline, Klopp stood with arms crossed,
his large-framed glasses perched on his nose,
eyes sharp as he scanned the roaring stadium.
He was the architect of Dortmund's rebirth—
the mastermind behind the terrifying Black and Yellow whirlwind that had swept through the Bundesliga.
Tonight, he was ready to once again unveil his revolutionary tactical vision to the world.
Inside the players' tunnel, the lights were dim and moody.
The sounds of drumming roars echoed from the far end—
like the pulse of war.
Kai stood at the very front of Arsenal's lineup.
The Dortmund players all turned to look—
Götze, Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, İlkay Gündoğan…
On Arsenal's side, no one flinched.
They locked eyes with their Dortmund counterparts from just meters away.
Everyone's gaze burned with fire.
No one spoke a word.
But the tension in the tunnel was suffocating—
a silent storm of smoke and gunpowder filled the air.
And then—
The majestic Champions League anthem began to play.
As the two squads emerged from the tunnel and stepped into the gaze of 80,000 eyes…
The battle under the North Rhine night sky… had begun.
~~----------------------
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