We are at the business end of the season and we have to act like it; all the talk of sending "the youth" is silly imo given the magnitude of the match and the team we are playing.
At this stage of the season momentum is key - just ask Arsenal fans.
If we lose the game we have to lose it un such a way that still puts us in with a chance of going through in our home leg next week. So a 2-1 or a 3-2; basically a loss that stil puts the club in a proud and competetive light (and makes the media REALLY respect us and our position in the PL table).
If we lose whilst also looking brick it will make it look like we are in a false position (remember Dortmund are also 2nd and 5 points off top) and all that momentum and respsct we have built up over the season will potentially go up in smoke ("bottlers", "they're tired", "when the going gets tough they've shown they aren't up to it" etc etc).
We NEED to be comptetitive in BOTH the league and this competition; get past Dortmund and we can REALLY start thiking about actually winning this imo.
So based on that (and also that we have Villa on sunday) i would like us to pick a reasonably strong side:
Lloris
Walker, Alderwiereld, Wimmer, Davies (Can he play? Didn't he get two yellows in the Fiorentina games??)
Dier Dembele Mason
Lamela Kane Eriksen
My reasoning: we need to have lots of energy in the centre and perhaps 3 in their will keep things solid, especially with their very GHod front line. Dembele has only just come back but even if he can only last 60/70 minutes his power alongside Mason and Dier's aggression is essential away imo. Dembele can have a rest vs Vila and we can bring him on in secid half if neccesary. Eriksen is really playing with a lot of energy and i want us to tap into it before he gets a rest vs Villa (again we can bring him on from the bench vs Villa if neccesary). Eriksen seems very suited to an away game in Europe and playing closer to Kane in a front 3 could be fruitful when we attack. Lamela is our top scorer in Europe so gets in over Chadli (who i think should start vs Villa).
I think we can get a 1-1 draw or even a 2-1 win if we are sharp...as long as we don't lose by more than one goal it will be a GHod result imo.
COYS