Fresh off the back of a superb win over Arsenal, Newcastle United travel to Signal Iduna Park to face Borussia Dortmund in an eagerly anticipated Champions League tie on Tuesday night, with Group F delicately poised.
Champions League action motors on as Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United meet in a pivotal Group F match-up at the Signal Iduna Park.
Just a fortnight ago, Borussia Dortmund came out on top with a narrow 1-0 victory over Newcastle United in Tyneside. That result has blown what has been billed as the dreaded “Group of Death” wide open. The two teams are now level on points in Group F, although the German heavyweights lead on the head-to-head record.
Still reeling from a humiliating 4-0 home defeat to bitter rivals and perennial German champions Bayern Munich at the weekend, the hosts will be looking to keep the Magpies at bay in this reverse fixture and keep their grip on the second spot in the group.
Newcastle head over to Germany full of confidence and will also have a sense of grievance after losing at home. They produced a real statement of intent against Arsenal with a huge three points in what was a fiery encounter decided by a contentious goal, which followed on from their midweek trouncing of Manchester United at Old Trafford by their second string side.
The result put them back in touch with the top four in the Premier League, with two more heavyweight battles coming up on Tyneside against Chelsea and Manchester United after the international break. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News and Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Full Time ⏹️ pic.twitter.com/Tn1ZmxGlxY
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) November 4, 2023
Edin Terzic’s tenure as Borussia Dortmund’s head coach has certainly not been a bad one. But the jury is still out due to the team’s pragmatic playing style and poor track record in big matches. And on Saturday, BVB’s unbeaten start in the league this season came to a halt against Bayern Munich in devastating fashion.
It was a sorry performance from the Black and Yellows, who were dismantled and overwhelmed rather easily. Terzic could look to change things up after the defeat. But he has his fair share of injury concerns.
Emre Can, who came off injured in the reverse fixture with Newcastle United, continues to struggle with the hip problem that forced him off in the reverse fixture, while Mateu Morey and Julien Duranville are dealing with knee injuries.
The potential absence of Can could see Salih Ozcan continue in the midfield, and the Turk may be joined in the middle of the pitch by Felix Nmecha and in-form Julian Brandt. Centre-back Niklas Sule is expected to be recalled at the expense of Mats Hummels, while Reus, Marco Reus, and Donyell Malen could all provide support in attack for central striker Niclas Fullkrug.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kobel; Ryerson, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Ozcan, Brandt; Reus, Fullkrug, Malen
Newcastle United
Newcastle United’s incredibly lengthy injury list was added to last weekend, with Jacob Murphy, Matt Targett, and Dan Burn all joining a crowded treatment room. Targett, for one, sustained a hamstring injury against Manchester United. Murphy swiftly re-injured his shoulder just minutes after coming on against Arsenal, while Burn tweaked his back after a nasty fall.
Eddie Howe has already had to do without the likes of Harvey Barnes (ankle), Elliot Anderson (back), Sven Botman (knee), and Alexander Isak (groin), all of whom won’t be back until after November’s international break at the earliest. £55 million summer signing from AC Milan, Sandro Tonali is banned for 10 months for gambling offences and won’t be back available until late August next year.
St. James' Park. There's no place quite like it. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/UWNmuAKP2V
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) November 5, 2023
Joe Willock returned to action in the 1-0 victory over the Gunners, and his return is a boost as he competes with Joelinton to start on the left side of Newcastle’s midfield trio, with Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff holding the other two spots.
With Targett and Burn available at Signal Iduna Park, Tino Livramento, who kept Gabriel Martinelli at bay in the second half at St. James’ Park, might be pressed into action at right-back, with Kieran Trippier switching over to the other flank. Callum Wilson has the tools to cause Dortmund serious issues and will be fresh to start after being taken off early in the Arsenal victory.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Lascelles, Schar, Trippier; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Almiron, Wilson, Gordon
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have averaged two goals per game in the Bundesliga, scoring 20 goals in just 10 games, while Newcastle have bagged 27 goals in 11 Premier League games.
- Newcastle United have not won in five of their seven away games this season (L2 D3).
- This will be Borussia Dortmund’s 150th match in the UEFA Champions League (W69 D31 L49), becoming just the second German side to reach the milestone since the competition’s inception back in 1992/93.
- Niclas Fullkrug has only scored two goals for Borussia Dortmund in six Bundesliga games this season.
- The last English manager to win an away game against a German side in the UEFA Champions League was Sir Bobby Robson, who oversaw a 3-1 beating of Bayer Leverkusen in February 2003. Eddie Howe will now be looking to follow in his late compatriot’s footsteps.
Player to Watch
Anthony Gordon
Plenty of football fans scoffed at Newcastle United’s decision to spend £45 million on Anthony Gordon in January. The big surprise was that Everton were able to coax such a high fee for a player who had just seven goals and eight assists in 78 games at the club.
However, after a slow start to his Newcastle career, he is turning the tables around for good. With a greater understanding of Howe’s tactics and demands, the versatile winger is making a positive impression in his first full season at the club.
He is taking more shots, making more key passes, and completing more dribbles, while his graft, determination, and increased attacking output are endearing him to Newcastle fans. No wonder Gordon was the hero for Newcastle, scoring the only goal of the game against Arsenal. He will look to continue traversing the upward trajectory with another bright performance here.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Newcastle United
This fixture has a draw written all over it, given that there is very little difference in the respective attacks and defences of the two sides. Bayern Munich and Harry Kane managed to keep the Yellow Wall quiet. But Saturday’s 4-0 defeat in Der Klassiker was Dortmund’s first defeat at home in 27 matches across all competitions.
It is difficult to see a way in which a depleted and injury-stricken Newcastle beat a Dortmund side who have already done the hard bit by winning at St. James’ Park and would be happy enough with a point. Having said that, the same would have been predicted prior to Newcastle’s clashes against PSG, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Manchester City — all of the games they won with grit, resilience, and desire.
Despite all the traps at every step, the Magpies have mastered the knack of navigating a safe passage towards the vibrant uplands. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle expects them to get the job done here, as Eddie Howe’s side continues to impress on all fronts.
