Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Maria Callejon and Dries Mertens start in Napoli’s huge battle with Borussia Dortmund.

Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Maria Callejon and Dries Mertens start in Napoli’s huge battle with Borussia Dortmund.

It kicks off at 19.45 GMT at the BVB Stadion and is a key game in the incredibly tight Group F race. Arsenal and Napoli are joint top on nine points with Dortmund on six.

Jurgen Klopp’s team simply must win, whereas a draw would qualify Napoli for the knockouts.

The Partenopei have lost their last two Serie A games without finding the net. Marek Hamsik, Juan Camilo Zuniga and Giandomenico Mesto are out injured.

Mertens is the surprise pick to start with Goran Pandev and Callejon supporting Higuain.

Blerim Dzemaili and Federico Fernandez are also unexpected members of the XI, dropping Gokhan Inler and Miguel Angel Britos.

Borussia Dortmund were beaten 3-0 by Bayern Munich on Saturday, but are without Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer.

Robert Lewandowski is the star striker, supported by Marco Reus, Blaszczykowski and Armenian talent Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Napoli won 2-1 at the San Paolo when these sides met earlier this season, but Borussia were down to 10 men for the entire second half.

Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller; Grosskreutz, Papastathopoulos, Bender, Durm; Sahin, Kehl; Blaszczykowski, Mkhitaryan, Reus; Lewandowski

Borussia bench: Langerak, Hofmann, Aubameyang, Kirch, Schleber, Piszczek, Gunter

Napoli: Reina; Maggio, Fernandez, Albiol, Armero; Dzemaili, Behrami; Callejon, Pandev, Mertens; Higuain

Napoli bench: Cabral, Uvini, Britos, Insigne, Cannavaro, Inler, Zapata

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