Louise Taylor braved the Newcastle weather tonight. Her report is in, and here it is. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
A philosophical Eddie Howe gives his verdict to TNT. “Tough game for us … first half we were off where we needed to be … tactically they were good, gave us a problem in central areas … second half we were a lot better … would the ball go in for us? … unfortunately it didn’t … we’re up against elite teams, you make half a mistake you get punished … Nick made some good saves … but we grew into the game … the woodwork denied us … but we have to look at ourselves, own the defeat, and now we’ve got to do it the hard way in the group … it’s going to be difficult, but we’re in the Champions League, nothing’s going to come easy … we have to dust ourselves down … next week we have to be ready … we didn’t deserve to lose.”
He also reports that Jacob Murphy “has what looks like a serious injury” to his shoulder, “potentially a dislocation”, and that Alexander Isak has a “recurrence of his groin problem … it doesn’t look serious but it’ll be enough to keep him out.”
The other game in Group F ended PSG 3-0 Milan. Randal Kolo Muani (53) and Lee Kang-in (89) added to Kylian Mbappe’s 32nd-minute strike. All of which means Group F looks like this tonight. It’s going to go down to the wire, isn’t it?
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Borussia Dortmund | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | AC Milan | 3 | -3 | 2 |
The underside of the crossbar saved Borussia Dortmund twice in that second half … and yet it’d be difficult to make a case against the 1997 champions deserving their victory. They kept Newcastle and their fans quiet for most of the game, and there was always the sense that they had just a bit too much experience, too much savvy, too much moxie for Newcastle, who looked a wee bit callow at times tonight. And yet, and yet … even though the Toon didn’t bring their best stuff this evening, far from it, they were the sum total of a couple of inches away from snatching a draw and maybe even a win. The small margins at this level. So when Eddie Howe looks back at this evening’s tape, he’ll have much to learn … but plenty to be enthused about as well. Felix Nmecha’s decisive goal was a marvellous team effort, by the way. Worthy of winning any game.
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FULL TIME: Newcastle United 0-1 Borussia Dortmund
The whistle goes, and Newcastle fall to their first defeat in Group F.
90 min +4: Wilson forces a corner down the right. From the set piece, the ball drops to Gordon on the penalty spot. He spins and shoots. The ball’s deflected and loops over Kobel … but off the underside of the bar! The rebound somehow fails to hit the sprawling keeper – had it done so, it’d have pinged into the net – and Dortmund hack clear. What late drama!
90 min +3: Bensebaini shanks a dreadful clearance backwards and into the arms of Kobel. Wilson desperately claims a backpass, but, well, that’s not happening. What an absurd clearance, though … and Bensebaini looks to have hurt himself making it! But he hobbles on.
90 min +2: Sule cynically checks Gordon as the Newcastle man makes a run from deep down the left. He’s lucky not to be booked. Trippier sends the free kick long … and straight out of play for a goal kick.
90 min +1: Trippier hoicks it up, down and towards the top-right corner. Kobel claws it out and his defenders clear up.
90 min: Gordon skitters down the left only to be unceremoniously clipped by Hummels near the corner flag. Dangerous free kick coming up. There will be four added minutes.
88 min: Wolf makes his way down the right and wins Dortmund a corner. He waves to his fans high up in the stand in celebration … though the resulting set piece is a complete non-event.
87 min: A free kick for Newcastle out on the left. Targett swings it long. Wilson rises highest at the far stick and sends a header shoulder towards the top right. Kobel is rooted to the spot, but the underside of the bar comes to Dortmund’s rescue! Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
85 min: Gordon wins a corner down the left. From the set piece, Wilson heads goalwards. Bensebaini blocks with his chest. Newcastle scream for a penalty, but come along.
83 min: Speaking of the weather, on the touchline, poor Eddie Howe looks like a drowned rat. Soaked and bedraggled. Someone should get that man an umbrella. Steve ‘Wally with a Brolly’ McClaren really did a number on a whole generation of managers back in the day.
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82 min: Wolf makes good down the left and suddenly Dortmund are three on one. But he, Reyna and Haller over-elaborate in the daft fashion, and their attempt to walk the ball into the net falls to pieces like wet cake in the rain. Oh no nooooooo!
80 min: Guimarães is booked for a late tug on Sabitzer. Newcastle are getting a little agitated in their quest to find an equaliser.
79 min: A triple change for Dortmund, who replace Malen, Fullkrug and the goalscorer Nmecha with Niklas Süle, Gio Reyna and Sébastien Haller.
77 min: Trippier cynically checks an in-flight Adeyemi, who was chasing a loose ball and preparing to zip clear down the left. The referee is unsighted and doesn’t even award a free kick; Trippier is fortunate not to go into the book. He has the brazen cheek to do the get-up mime as well. Then again, in for a penny.
75 min: Gordon turns into space in the middle of the park and is this close to sending Wilson free with a slide-rule pass. Not quite, but he nearly created something special out of next to nothing.
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74 min: Targett works his way down the left and earns a corner out of not very much. Trippier comes over to take. He sticks another in-swinger under the Dortmund bar, but Kobel plucks this one confidently from the air.
72 min: Newcastle are enjoying the majority of possession now, but doing very little in the final third. “Interesting to see Howe roll the dice with the Tonali substitution,” quips Peter Oh, because somebody had to.
70 min: While all that was going on, Murphy landed awkwardly on his shoulder after a garden-variety challenge with Ozcan. He can’t continue and is replaced by the returning Joe Willock. Meanwhile Burn makes way for Matt Target.
68 min: Gordon makes good down the left. He crosses low for Wilson, on the edge of the six-yard box, but Hummels sticks out a leg to whip clear. Wilson wants a penalty, but he’s not getting one.
67 min: … but Dortmund come straight back at Newcastle, Hummels of all people twisting and turning down the right before firing a low cross through the six-yard box. Tonali, facing his own net, back-heels the ball powerfully away from danger. What sangfroid! He’ll be missed.
66 min: Adeyemi turns on the jets down the left and wins a corner off Trippier. He wants a penalty but the ball hit the sliding Trippier on the shoulder. Nothing comes of the corner.
65 min: Newcastle respond by making a double change. Joelinton and Longstaff make way for Jacob Murphy and Sandro Tonali, who may well be making his last appearance for the best part of a year.
63 min: Dortmund make their second substitution of the evening, replacing Reus with Karim Adeyemi.
62 min: Guimarães wins a 30-70 duel with Sabitzer in midfield. He slips Joelinton into space down the left. The resulting cross finds Wilson, whose attempt to flick goalwards is deflected out for a corner. Nothing comes of that, but this is much, much better from Newcastle.
60 min: Wilson really should have scored there. A costly miss? It certainly will be if Dortmund add a second, and the ever-dangerous Malen zips down the right and nearly gets the better of Schar. The Newcastle defender stands firm, though, and sticks out a crucial leg to stop the Dortmund attacker breaking clear.
58 min: … but that’s got the crowd going, and after Malen counters only to have his shot blocked up the other end, Newcastle come back at Dortmund through Gordon, who wins a corner down the left. Nothing comes of it, but Gordon has whipped up the home support with a frantic wave of the arms, and St James’ Park is jumping again. Much better from the home side.
56 min: Schar wins the ball in the centre circle with a crunching tackle. It breaks to Wilson, who one-twos with Gordon down the left and finds himself free on the penalty spot! But he slams his shot straight at Kobel, who is able to kick clear.
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55 min: Wilson tries to get something going for the Toon with a barrelling run down the middle. He’s got nobody up with him, though Gordon tries to keep up to his left. Eventually the tracking Schlotterbeck sticks in a toe to put a stop to his gallop. That’s top-notch defending.
54 min: Newcastle’s play is pretty scrappy right now. The crowd’s frustration is beginning to betray them. A few grumbles when things don’t quite go their way. The Dortmund fans are winning the sing-off right now.
52 min: Reus grooves his way down the inside-right channel and attempts to send a curler into the top left. It’s way off target, but Newcastle are struggling to keep hold of the ball and they surely can’t keep allowing the visitors to advance on their box so easily.
50 min: Pope sends a sensational long throw-out to Gordon on the halfway line. He’s about to engage Hummels in a footrace down the left wing when he takes a heavy touch and clanks the ball out of play. For a brief second, though, Dortmund looked exposed.
49 min: Nmecha is afforded a lot of space down the right. He makes his way into the box. He’s got options either side but goes for it himself. His shot is blocked. As in the first half, Dortmund continue to look dangerous just about every time they go forward.
47 min: The Dortmund fans are in fine voice. They’ve been giving it plenty all evening, not bad going given the weather, and the fact they’re up in the heavens. They nearly have something else to sing about, too, as Malen drops deep and nearly feeds Reus down the middle. Trippier is on point to intercept and clear.
Newcastle get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes at the break. “Dortmund are proving to be everything that PSG were not, when they visited SJP: cohesive, sharp and proactive,” writes Toon fan Chris Paraskevas. “Newcastle have looked a little sloppy in possession (even allowing for the conditions). Without Isak they’ve also lost a bit of mobility up front. Huge test of Eddie Howe’s coaching abilities and Jason ‘Mad Dog’ Tindall’s bark coming up in the second half.”
Half-time reading. Louise Taylor with the latest on the Sandro Tonali situation.
In the other Group F match, Kylian Mbappe has given PSG the lead over Milan with a 32nd-minute goal. So with both PSG and BVB winning 1-0 at the break, here’s how the table looks as things stand …
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSG | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Borussia Dortmund | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | AC Milan | 3 | -1 | 2 |
HALF TIME: Newcastle United 0-1 Borussia Dortmund
Yep, they needed to hear the half-time whistle all right. Wolf was just about to tear clear down the inside-right channel, through on goal, when the clock ticked over the four minutes of additional time by a couple of seconds. The referee blows up, and Schlotterbeck is furious. He rants impotently at the referee, and Newcastle nip down the tunnel at speed. Well, that was eventful!
45 min +3: Newcastle fail to deal with the corner properly, and the ball ends up with Malen out on the right. His long cross is flapped out at the far stick by Pope. Another corner leads to nought, but all of a sudden Newcastle really need to hear the half-time whistle and regroup.
45 min +2: There will be four added minutes. Dortmund are soon on the attack again, and Newcastle are fortunate Fullkrug takes his time to get a shot away when free just inside the box on the left. A deflection sends the ball looping over the bar.
GOAL! Newcastle United 0-1 Borussia Dortmund (Nmecha 45)
Gordon dribbles down the middle of the pitch. He’s got options but takes one touch too many. Schlotterbeck block-tackles him and immediately slips Reus away on the counter. The defender keeps going down the left and gets the ball back, before pulling back for Nmecha, who opens his body and slots brilliantly into the right-hand side of the net. Pope no chance. That’s a superb goal.
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43 min: Nope, it’s not possible for Can to continue. Salih Özcan comes on in his place.
42 min: Newcastle are playing against ten-and-a-half men right now, and they crank up the pressure, pushing Dortmund back. Trippier crosses from the right, nearly finding Joelinton in the middle. Wolf eyebrows away. Burn then has a crack from 25 yards. Over the bar it flies.
40 min: Can comes back on! Well that didn’t look likely a few seconds ago. But he’s not moving particularly well.
39 min: Can is helped off by two physios. He’s trying to walk but stumbling every other step. He’s surely not going to be able to continue. Once he steps off the pitch, already doubled over in pain, he crashes to the floor. Not easy to watch.
38 min: Can is down and doesn’t look comfortable. He’s clutching his right knee and grimacing a lot. On comes the doctor.
37 min: It isn’t worth the wait.
36 min: … but Trippier plays it short to Gordon on his left. Gordon’s cross is no good. But Longstaff recycles possession on the other flank and is barged to the floor by Nmecha. Another free kick, out on the right touchline. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Dortmund box, waiting for Trippier’s delivery.
35 min: Almiron drives down the middle of the park and is flicked to the floor by Wolf’s cynically-hung-out leg. Wolf goes into the book, and this is a free kick in a central position, the best part of 30 yards out. Given the rain, Trippier might fancy the odds despite the distance.
34 min: Joelinton attempts to curl one into the top right. It’s not happening. Goal kick.
33 min: Gordon dribbles down the left only to be forced to turn tail. He heads back into his own half, and is dispossessed by Nmecha, who has options either side with Newcastle threadbare at the back. The referee very generously whistles for a foul on Gordon, who got away with one there. Newcastle were in all sorts of bother otherwise.
32 min: Schlotterbeck sprays a glorious diagonal ball towards Wolf on the right. Wolf cuts back for Malen, who finds Can 25 yards out. Can shovels a pass down the inside-left channel to … nobody in particular. Goal kick. The intensity from both teams has dropped, but only a little.
30 min: … nowt.
29 min: Gordon sashays in from the left and finds Wilson on the edge of the D with a forensic pass. Wilson feeds Trippier down the right. Cross. Corner. Half-arsed claim for a penalty. The officials care not, and Newcastle parlay a corner on the right for another on the left, and from that …
28 min: Burn strides down the left and fizzes a low diagonal pass towards Wilson up front and centre. Had Wilson taken it first time, in his stride, he’d have been off and clear. But he didn’t.
26 min: Reus and Fullkrug ping crisp passes down the middle. The ball breaks right for Malen, who opens his body and shoots. Blocked. That’s Dortmund’s sixth attempt on goal already.
25 min: Space for Trippier down the right. He shanks deep into the stand behind, and looks utterly disgusted with himself. Standards, eh?
24 min: Trippier sends this one long, forcing Kobel to flap at the far stick. Again the keeper does just enough to clear in unconventional style. Still 0-0 though. Still 0-0?!
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23 min: Gordon dances his way down the left and wins a corner. This is relentless end-to-end nonsense. Marvellous. Trippier to take.
22 min: Guimarães wedges a lovely ball down the inside-right channel for Almiron, who attempts a first-time sweep across Kobel and towards the bottom left. It would have been a peach of a finish … but he fresh-air swipes instead. Goal kick, but full marks for ambition.
21 min: Malen is a constant menace. He dribbles purposefully down the right and has his shot-cum-cross deflected behind by Burn. Nothing comes of the corner. Both teams look super-dangerous every time they go forward, though. How it’s still 0-0 is anyone’s guess.
20 min: Almiron skedaddles in from the right touchline, swaying his way past a couple of defenders before crashing to ground in the penalty box. He wants a spot kick, but he’s not getting one, having looked for the contact with Schlotterbeck.
19 min: … nowt.
18 min: Schlotterbeck ships possession to Guimaraes, who nearly releases Gordon down the middle. Can gets his team-mate out of a hole. Dortmund counter quickly and Malen, who has been super-lively so far, shoots from an angle on the right. His effort is deflected out for another corner, from which …
16 min: Almiron tries to release Wilson down the inside-right channel, but the pass is slightly off. Just enough for Schlotterbeck to come across and blooter clear, denying Wilson an instant impact.
15 min: … though sadly it’ll no longer star Isak, who can’t continue. He’s replaced by Wilson.
14 min: Isak is up and about again, but he’s shaking his head quite a lot and walking gingerly. He’ll not be hooked yet. Meanwhile it’s a corner for Dortmund on the right. Reus’s delivery is half-cleared. Reus then pulls back for Malen, who sends an outrageous screamer inches over the bar from 25 yards. This game is great.
13 min: Isak is down, and he doesn’t look particularly happy. On comes the physio to take a look at his right knee.
11 min: … and now Gordon zips down the left, drops a shoulder to get away from Can, and hammers a shot into Kobel’s chest! This could easily be 2-2 already. Somewhere in the multiverse, that’s exactly what the score is.
10 min: An outrageous double save by Pope! Can robs Longstaff in the centre circle and sends Sabitzer tearing off down the left. He enters the box and crosses low for Malen, who flippers a first-time shot goalwards. Pope does well to parry. The ball breaks to Fullkrug, who smacks goalwards again. Pope somehow shovels the ball off his line and out for a corner. That looked a certain goal!
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8 min: Dortmund pump long down the middle in the 1980s style. Nmecha attempts to get on the end of it, but Pope comes out to the edge of his box to claim.
7 min: Gordon probes down the left and wins a corner off Can. Trippier takes. A vicious in-swinger that forces Kobel to palm off his line in an unconventional manner. But it’s effective. That was a mighty fine delivery, and you could see why the keeper needed to take evasive action.
5 min: Malen works his way down the right and lays off to Can, just outside the Newcastle D. The hosts are fortunate the referee nearly gets in the way, forcing Can to abort his attempt to shoot. This is fast, frenetic and a lot of fun.
3 min: Fullkrug’s loose ball in midfield is intercepted by Almiron, who attempts to send Gordon away down the left. The pass is overhit, not helped by the greasy surface. It’s been pelting down in the north-east. Goal kick. Gordon gives his team-mate the thumbs up for the right idea.
2 min: … but it’s Dortmund who take the first shot in anger. Wolf sends Malen scampering down the inside-left channel and his low shot from a tight angle is kicked away by Pope. Newcastle counter and Gordon cuts in from the left. His curler is parried by Kobel. What a start this is!
Dortmund – who have to do without their injured playmaker Julian Brandt tonight – get the ball rolling. They launch it long. Burn wins a header and earns the first reactive roar of the evening. What a noise!
The teams are out! Newcastle in their famous black and white, Dortmund in their bespoke European tweak to their equally storied neon yellow and black. Fluttering flags spell out HOWAY THE LADS. SJP is jumping. Can Der BVB survive the cauldron in a manner beyond PSG? We’ll find out PDQ. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!
More details of the pre-match soundtrack. The Uefa house band’s cover of Zadok the Priest will be followed by the traditional St James’ Park airing of the theme from one of the greatest movies ever made.
MAN: Are you sure there are two Ts in ‘Schlotterbeck’, Gideon?
GIDEON: Yes … and are there two Gs in ‘bugger off’?
With David Bowie’s Heroes blasting out of the St James’ Park PA system at a million decibels, Dortmund coach Edin Terzic attempts to make himself heard over the feedback drones of Robert Fripp as he speaks to TNT. “It is a great atmosphere here, but this is something we also know from Dortmund … [ ♪♫ I, I will be king ♪♫ ] … they are going to start intensely and press very hard … [ ♪♬ And you, you will be queen ♬♪ ] … we have to play with one or two touches and be dangerous … we need to counter the atmosphere … [ ♬♪ Though nothing will drive them away ♪♫♬♪ ] … we know what we are capable of doing and that is what we want to show tonight.”
Newcastle’s continental capers in pictorial form. Pop Robson leading a rout of European champions-in-waiting Feyenoord! Alan Foggon hoisting the Fairs Cup! Faustino Asprilla demolishing Barcelona single-handedly! Scott Parker bringing the sunshine upon winning the Intertoto Cup! All here for your viewing pleasure.
Eddie Howe speaks to TNT Sports. “We have to look back at the PSG game and what we did well … when we play at our best here, our off-the-ball work is a key feature … this will be a different game, though … Dortmund are a very good team, very dangerous … at home one of our key hallmarks is our intensity … I don’t think we should change for Europe … but Dortmund have different strengths and we have to try to combat those … we need the crowd like an extra man … that’s our responsibility early in the game.”
The teams
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Lascelles, Burn, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Almiron, Isak, Gordon.
Subs: Dubravka, Dummett, Tonali, Wilson, Targett, Karius, Hall, Livramento, Murphy, Willock.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Wolf, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini, Sabitzer, Can, Nmecha, Reus, Fullkrug, Malen.
Subs: Ozcan, Reyna, Haller, Moukoko, Sule, Adeyemi, Meyer, Laurenz Lotka, Bynoe-Gittens, Blank.
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (Portugal).
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Newcastle United make two changes to the side sent out to rout Crystal Palace at the weekend. Callum Wilson and Jacob Murphy drop to the bench, making way for Alexander Isak and Miguel Almiron. The only change to the starting XI named for the PSG victory is Joelinton for Sandro Tonali, who will hope to come off the bench at some point this evening to say his goodbyes before an expected lengthy ban for alleged breaches of betting rules is announced. Joe Willock is also named as a sub, back in the squad for the first time since May following hamstring and Achilles issues.
Borussia Dortmund’s starting XI features a couple of old Premier League pals. Marcel Sabitzer turned out on loan for Manchester United last season, while captain Emre Can played in the final of this competition for Liverpool in 2018. Donyell Malen played youth football for Arsenal.
A welcome reminder of what happened last time round …
… and where it left Toon in the table.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | PSG | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Borussia Dortmund | 2 | -2 | 1 |
Preamble
Newcastle United have started their Group F campaign brilliantly: an assured draw at San Siro followed by a 4-1 rout of Kylian Mbappé’s PSG. Borussia Dortmund, not so much: they were beaten 2-0 in Paris in their opening fixture, and were held goalless at home by Milan last time round. The Toon sit atop the group; Dortmund are at the bottom having yet to find the net.
Big evening coming up on Tyneside, then. Eddie Howe’s side are coming off a confident 4-0 rout of Crystal Palace, and have scored 21 goals in their last six matches. Another goalfest tonight would see them take control of this section. Dortmund don’t lose many, though – the defeat in Paris is their only one of the season so far – and with the Germans desperate for a result that will keep them in contention, this is set up deliciously for fun. Kick off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
