Newcastle United will be looking for revenge when they face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. A fortnight ago, Eddie Howe’s team suffered their first continental defeat of the season at the hands of the German giants, losing 1-0 at St. James’ Park to fall behind Edin Terzic’s team in the intriguing section.
Preview (Borussia Dortmund vs Newcastle United)
The Magpies destroy French champions Paris Saint-Germain on matchday two. Even the formidable Dortmund wall may have felt anxious facing Newcastle two weeks prior. Terzic’s unwavering defense stopped their hosts’ momentum. Newcastle was a shell of the team that defeated PSG with four goals. They were unable to match Dortmund’s defensive prowess. In the 45th minute of the match, Nico Schlotterbeck ran down the opposite end of the field. He set up Felix Nmecha for the game-winning goal.
Dortmund leads their English counterparts by two points, while leaders PSG are only two points ahead of Terzic’s crop. Dortmund and Newcastle are now tied on four points in this year’s group of death. They share the Magpies’ record of one win, one draw, and one loss from their first three matches. The German powerhouses are set to achieve a significant milestone this week when they play 150 Champions League games, joining Bayern Munich as the only other team. However, in Saturday’s Der Klassiker, their Harry Kane-inspired superiors served them a slice of humble pie.
The hosts’ eight-game unbeaten run across all tournaments came to an agonizing end. A fantastic treble from the England captain condemned Dortmund to a horrifying 4-0 loss. Their vengeful opponents also know a thing or two about ending unblemished streaks. Comparable to their arduous encounter with Arsenal in January, when perceived gamesmanship contributed to Newcastle’s escape with a point in a 0-0 draw, Howe’s team managed to contain their Martin Odegaard-less opponents with relative ease during Saturday’s match at St James’ Park.
Team News
Dortmund’s four-goal rout of Bayern left them with very little to cheer about. At least Terzic’s players came out of the game uninjured. It left three injured players in the treatment area. While Mateu Morey and Julian Duranville are still recovering from injuries to their knees and thighs, respectively, Emre Can is still having trouble with the hip problem he sustained towards the end of the first half against Newcastle two weeks ago. None of Marius Wolf, Donyell Malen, or Salih Ozcan lasted an hour in Der Klassiker. Karim Adeyemi and St. James’ Park matchwinner Nmecha are a threat to the berths of the latter two, and a recall for Ryan Bensebaini at left-back may also be necessary.
On the other hand, things are starting to get bad for Newcastle again. After coming off the bench against Arsenal, Jacob Murphy seemed to have a relapsed shoulder dislocation, and Dan Burn hurt his back on a hard fall and had to be substituted at halftime. The hardworking Newcastle medical staff is also tending to the needs of Matt Targett (hamstring), Alexander Isak (groin), Harvey Barnes (foot), Elliott Anderson (back), Sven Botman (knee), and Javi Manquillo (groin), while the suspended Sandro Tonali will once again watch from the stands.
Borussia Dortmund 1 – 1 Newcastle United
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