Anderlecht vs. Dortmund: Key Issues That Will Shape Champions League Game

An air of desperation hangs over Borussia Dortmund at the moment, as they go into their first away tie of this season's Champions League against Anderlecht in a terrible run of form. 

Jurgen Klopp's side haven't quite looked themselves as of yet this season, with a harrowing 2-1 Ruhr derby defeat at the hands of bitter rivals Schalke on Saturday offering just a glimpse at the troubles surrounding his club at the moment. 

"We have to stick at it and analyse the facts and find solutions. We are not on song in terms of our game play, not on song in terms of fitness either," said the Dortmund coach as he recounted the weekend's game, via BvB.de.

"We need to bounce back. We will be back. It may take a little while, but we will be back!"

Unfortunately, the team's schedule doesn't allow for much consolation and on Wednesday Dortmund will once again be asked to perform as they take on Anderlecht at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium. A bounce back will certainly be needed if the Bundesliga side have any hopes of qualifying from this tough group. 

Here are all the key issues surrounding both sides ahead of this vital match. 

Who Will Score for Dortmund?

Michael Probst/Associated Press

Dortmund may have a shocking defensive record at the moment, but one of Klopp's main problems right now is figuring out who will score the goals for his side in Belgium on Wednesday. 

Many suggested that there would be a tough transition period once Robert Lewandowski left the club, yet the manner in which Adrian Ramos and Ciro Immobile have struggled to nail down some consistent form was almost unprecedented. 

Klopp's decision to partner both alongside one another in a classic 4-4-2 at the weekend said plenty about his own baffled expression on the matter. Whether it be Ramos' terrible conversion rate against Schalke or Immobile's penalty miss against Mainz the week before, Dortmund haven't got a striker between them who looks confident enough to lead the line. 

Oddly enough it's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang—the striker-turned-winger—who currently leads the club's goalscoring charts, despite often playing out wide and making late runs into the box. The Gabonese international is a proven goalscorer and may well be the best bet for goals within this current Dortmund side. 

Klopp in Desperate Need of a Win

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Following Saturday's bitter defeat to Schalke, Dortmund have now gone three games and over two weeks since they last won a football match in any competition. 

Oddly enough if it was in the Champions League, against Arsenal of all teams, that we last saw a Dortmund side with purpose and some kind of intent to win a match. That night Klopp's team looked excellent and capable of overcoming any foe. 

Injuries have unfairly taken their toll, but the fact remains that Dortmund are still in desperate need of a win before too long. If they can't overcome Anderlecht on Wednesday ahead of Saturday's tough clash with Hamburg, then we may see this club plummet into unforeseen depths of dispair. 

Anderlecht Can Hurt Dortmund's Defence

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

One of the biggest worries for Klopp and travelling fans from Dortmund will be the manner in which this team defend against their Belgian hosts. 

The Bundesliga side have really struggled to keep clean sheets this year, conceding 11 league goals in just six games so far this season.

Much has been made of the numerous centre-back pairings that Klopp has stumbled around. Between Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, Dortmund have three outstanding defenders yet all three seem to be struggling to find any sense of form. 

As such, Anderlecht will undoubtedly fancy their chances to put a few goals past this hurting side as they themselves have had little trouble creating chances this year. In just nine matches in this season's Jupiler Pro League, they've managed to score no less than 18 goals; an average of exactly two goals per game. 

Dortmund will certainly need to find some structure and form if they hope to oversee this opponent. 

Dortmund Tend to Do Better on the Road

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

As odd as it may seem, Dortmund have of late seemed to be much better in the Champions League when they aren't playing in front of their famous crowd at the Westfalenstadion.

Although Klopp's side may have looked fantastic against Arsenal two weeks ago, last season's campaign saw the black and yellows pick up most of their success on the road by overcoming the very same Premier League side as well as Marseille and Zenit St Petersburg on the way to the quarterfinals. 

In fact, over the past two seasons Klopp's team have only lost three games out of 11 at away grounds across Europe.

As they struggle to comprehend at failing domestic campaign, a change of scenery may be exactly what Dortmund need at this moment in time. Where better to go for a trip to gather one's thoughts than Belgium?