Arsenal travel to Istanbul to face Turkish champions Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, knowing only a win will keep their hopes of topping the group alive.
The Gunners secured qualification to the last 16, by beating Dortmund 2-0 in the last gameweek, though the Germans still remain two points ahead in Group D. To win the group, Arsene Wenger's men must now beat Galatasaray tonight and hope that the Borussians lose to Anderlecht at home.
Arsenal come into this match on the back of a 3-2 loss at Stoke City during the weekend, which saw severe criticism of both Wenger and the players. With a spot in the Round of 16 guaranteed, the French tactician has decided to rest some of his key players - including talisman Alexis Sanchez - for this fixture, putting the emphasis on the Premier League.
"I have brought a squad mixed with regulars and six young players. We will not play under huge stress because we are already guaranteed to be in the knockout stage. The reason I have not brought Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla is because I just wanted them to rest a bit because they have played a lot of matches up to now," UEFA website quoted Wenger as saying.
"Galatasaray are the biggest club in Turkey. I have been here before. They will show the quality they have - just like they did when they eliminated Juventus last season. Therefore I expect a tough contest. I really do expect Galatasaray to play well."
The Turkish champions, on the other hand, are rockbottom of Group D, with just one point - which came against Anderlecht at home in gameweek 1. Four consecutive defeats mean that Hamza Hamzaoglu's men will not even make it to the Europa League this season. And the manager is hoping that the lack of pressure will allow them to do well tonight.
"We'll try to stop our opponents, but we'll also try to play. We know our opponents are Arsenal, but we are Galatasaray and we'll fight regardless. It's a plus not having any pressure. As we have done in previous games, we'll try to press Arsenal up front and not let them leave their half easily," Hamzaoglu pointed out.
"Our opponents' game plan will be decisive too. Football is not only about attacking – from time to time you may need to defend. Arsenal are a good team. If they react to our pressing we'll try to be strong in defence and hit them with counterattacks."
Arsenal won the reverse fixture at the Emirates 4-1, thanks to a Danny Welbeck hattrick.
Team News
Galatasaray: Selcuk Inan is suspended for this tie while Blerim Dzemaili (hamstring) has been ruled out.
Arsenal: Mesut Ozil (knee), Theo Walcott (groin), Jack Wilshere (ankle), David Ospina (thigh) and Abou Diaby (calf) are still on the treatment table, while Mikel Arteta (calf), Nacho Monreal (ankle) and Tomas Rosicky (thigh) are not fit to play in this tie. Meanwhile, Alexis, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs, Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud and Welbeck have all been rested.
Lineups
Galatasaray (probable): Muslera; Telles, Chedjou, Kaya, Camdal; Altintop, Melo, Kurtulus; Sneijder; Yilmaz, Bulut
Arsenal: Szczesny; Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Bellerin; Flamini, Ramsey; Campbell, Chamberlain, Podolski; Sanogo. Subs: Martinez, Akpom, Zelalem, Kamara, O'Connor, Iwobi, Maitland-Niles
Where to Watch Live
Galatasaray vs Arsenal is scheduled for a 1.15am IST (7.45pm GMT, 2.45pm ET) start, with live coverage on Ten HD in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online on Ten Sports Live.
Catch the action in the UK live on Sky Sports 5 and Sky Sports 5HD, with an option to live stream the match online on Sky GO. US viewers can watch the game live on Fox Sports or online on Fox Soccer 2Go. Audience in Canada can see the tie via live stream on Sportsnet World.
Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can watch the match on beIN Sports Arabia 4 HD or via live streaming online, courtesy beIN Sports Connect. South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can see the contest on SuperSport 6 Africa or SuperSport online.
