Borussia Dortmund forward Ciro Immobile says his first goal for the club in the Champions League was "liberating" as coach Jurgen Klopp said his team were "near to perfection" in a 2-0 win over Arsenal on Tuesday.
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Immobile was given a standing ovation from the 65,851 fans inside the Westfalenstadion when he was withdrawn five minutes from the end of the game in which he opened his account with a stylish goal.
The Italy international ran nearly half the field before showing composure to sweep the ball into the bottom left corner, endearing him to the Dortmund faithful after a difficult first six weeks in Germany.
"I'm delighted," he told Sky Sport Italia. "Some people were already talking about me being a failure, but scoring this goal in our first Champions League match was liberating. I think it's only normal that you have a few difficulties to begin with."
Immobile, who scored in Italy's 2-0 win over Netherlands earlier this month, added: "I dedicate my goal to my family, who know how much I suffered to begin with. Being with the national team gave me an added motivation because representing my country means everything to me.
"And Klopp is fantastic. He put his faith in me."
Klopp had not shown too much faith in Immobile for Dortmund's recent matches, leaving the 24-year-old on the bench for the wins over Augsburg and Freiburg. However, he gave the Italian the nod over Adrian Ramos against the Gunners, and his faith was repaid.
"Ciro was fantastic and he's taken a real leap forward. After he scored for his country against the Netherlands, something clicked in him," Klopp told Sky Deutschland. "He meant what he did for his goal -- he's done it before in training.
"What he and [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang managed up front was extraordinary. I can't even speak to Ciro, apart from saying 'avanti' ['forward']."
The Dortmund boss was delighted with the way his whole team performed, adding: "We were a pressing machine today. We were close to perfection. There were some moments that are going to stick in my mind for a long time. It was a fantastic start."