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Newcastle’s start to the season was slow, but they seem to have gone over the rough patch and are now playing the way that got them the UEFA Champions League ticket last season. Conversely, Dortmund got their season off to a fine start.
Newcastle had a flying start to the season; the Magpies opened the campaign with an emphatic 5-1 thrashing of Aston Villa. Since that excellent win, they found it challenging to get going and lost three consecutive league games. Julian Alvarez’s first-half goal for Manchester City decided the contest at the Etihad before Liverpool defeated them by scoring twice in the final ten minutes. It was a complete collapse when they travelled to face Brighton at the AMEX Stadium and were soundly beaten 3-1.
Eddie Howe’s men finally found their winning formula again, and they defeated Brentford 1-0 at home courtesy of Calum Wilson’s strike from the penalty spot. And their first UEFA Champions League game in over a decade ended goalless against AC Milan. Goalkeeper Nick Pope was solid between the sticks to prevent his side from an opening-day defeat. Upon their return to the Premier League, Newcastle thumped Sheffield United 8-0 to record their biggest win in recent times. A 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup sent them through into the next round of the competition. All the poor form in August was gone, and they finished the month of September on a strong note.
On the other hand, like last season, Dortmund has made a fine start to the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, it was pretty tricky in the opening game, where they needed a late goal from Doyen Malen to beat Cologne before playing out consecutive draws against Bochum and Heidenheim just before the international break.
Borussia Dortmund’s biggest performance of the season was against Freiburg as they came from a halftime deficit to win the game 4-2. It was the perfect preparation for the game against PSG in their UEFA Champions League season opener. However, they were dominated by the French side as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat. Back in the Bundesliga, they struggled against Wolfsburg but still went ahead to win 1-0, extending their unbeaten start to the season.
Newcastle looks like a side without limits at the moment, and if they want to reach the next round of the competition, this is a game they need to win, as this will be their second successive Champions League home game. Eddie Howe’s side played some compact football last season, and it got them to this stage; if they manage not to deviate from it, they might be thinking of a place in the second round. Newcastle have only faced German opposition twice in the Champions League and won both games against Bayer Leverkusen.
Dortmund might be unbeaten in the Bundesliga at the time of writing, but they have practically been struggling. They seem to lack the creative spark in the middle of the park and in attack when Marco Reus is absent. The 1997 Champions League winners and losing finalists to Bayern Munich at Wembley in 2013 have faced English opposition in this competition 24 times, winning just seven of those games.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams in this competition, and it promises to be an exciting evening of football in Newcastle.
Match tickets
The match at St. James Park kicks off on Wednesday, 25th October, at 8 pm UK time, and it will be shown live on TNT Sports, with coverage starting from around 7 PM.
Newcastle’s return to the elite competition promises to be exciting, and the 52,305 – magnificent stadium in Tyneside will be buzzing for this game. Par for the course, passionate Dortmund fans will be present drumming their support for their team in this game.
Newcastle fans have been dreaming since last season and would like to back their team again. Getting tickets for Newcastle vs Dortmund tickets will be challenging, given the standard of the game and the country the opposition is coming from. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels.
Team news
Line-ups
If it is enforced, Eddie Howe and Newcastle only change their squad for games. Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are expected to partner in the middle of the park, while Joelinton, upon his return, is expected to compliment them. Harvey Barnes has suffered a knee injury, which will see him miss three months of action, while Sven Botman is also sidelined. Joe Willock is also a long-term absentee. Nick Pope should also continue in goal, while one of Callum Wilson or Alexander Isak will get to start this game.
Newcastle United: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Targett; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Isak, Gordon.
Dortmund deployed a three-at-the-back system on match day one, and it remains to be seen if a similar approach will be taken. Nico Schlotterbeck will partner Mats Hummels. Stand-in captain Emre Can is expected to continue in midfield alongside Marcel Sabitzer, while Sebastian Haller should lead the line. However, Mateu Morey, Niclas Füllkrug, Ramy Bensebaini, and Thomas Meunier remain in Dortmund’s physio room.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Brandt, Sabitzer; Adeyemi, Haller, Malen.
Prediction
Newcastle return to St. James Park for another UEFA Champions League action. They will need to take their chance against the German side. Newcastle knows how to keep things tight at the back and can get a goal. They will undoubtedly rely on that shape to surpass the Black and Yellow.
Newcastle United 1-0 Dortmund
Founder and editor of Footiecentral. A voracious reader who loves reading anything and everything related to the history of football. He’s an ardent supporter of Manchester United and rarely misses a match.