BVB on course: victory against Newcastle after Bayern debacle
Frustration in the Bundesliga, euphoria in the Champions League - Borussia Dortmund got back on the road to success three days after the lesson from FC Bayern (0:4). With a 2:0 (1:0) win over Newcastle United, the Bundesliga club took a big step towards the knockout round of the Champions League. Niclas Füllkrug (26th minute) with the first Champions League goal of his career and Julian Brandt (79th) scored the goals for the confident hosts.
As in the 1-0 win in England two weeks earlier, coach Edin Terzic's team put in a mature performance at home in front of 81,365 spectators in a sold-out Signal Iduna Park. Thanks to the successful reaction to the Bayern debacle, BVB (7 points) overtook Newcastle (4) and, after a mixed start, are now on course for a place in the last 16 of Group F for the first time.
BVB started against the English side in a way that was not necessarily to be expected after the debacle against Bayern: courageous and committed. Borussia were visibly eager to respond positively, with Newcastle barely getting out of their own half in the early stages. Dortmund pressed high and won the decisive duels in midfield. The British side, plagued by injuries, did not get into the game at all.
Strong start from BVB
The good opening phase was rewarded after less than 30 minutes. Füllkrug won the ball in his own half and sparked a Dortmund counter-attack. The ball eventually found its way back to the new signing, who scored his first Champions League goal from close range after being played in by Marcel Sabitzer. Everything started according to plan for the hosts.
Coach Terzic had reacted to the poor performance against Bayern by making three changes to the starting eleven. Fortunately for Dortmund, Füllkrug, who had also been weak of late, started again, but Marco Reus and Donyell Malen, like Marius Wolf, were initially surprisingly left on the bench. Although the slightly changed BVB team got off to a good start, Terzic's side relinquished control of the game a little after taking the lead.
Stable defense
Dortmund withdrew and let Newcastle come. After the strong 1:0 win against Arsenal FC at the weekend, the visitors needed some time to get into the game. The fact that things finally worked out better was mainly due to the fact that Dortmund now lost crucial duels in midfield. However, BVB's defense did not really falter at first.
Things got really dicey for the first time in the 56th minute when ex-Hoffenheim man Joelinton was completely free to head home a cross in the Dortmund penalty area - but the ball went narrowly wide of the goal. The Magpies had reacted at the break and brought on attacking players Anthony Gordon and Miguel Almirón. The visitors wanted the equalizer, but only BVB were able to reward themselves.
Although the hosts were a little more passive, they never gave up their defensive stability. And that paid off. After a free-kick for Newcastle in the BVB penalty area, Karim Adeyemi played a brilliant pass to Brandt, who marched unchallenged towards the visitors' goal and slotted home with ice-cold precision.
Borussia Dortmund's Champions League journey continues with their victory over Newcastle United, extending their points tally to 7 and pushing Newcastle down to 4. This victory, following their defeat against Bayern, puts BVB on course to qualify for the Champions League's last 16 for the first time.
In the Champions League group stage, Borussia Dortmund has faced both Bayern and Newcastle United, securing victories against both teams. Their next opponent in the Champions League is Ajax Amsterdam, a team they've previously met in the Champions League group stage in 2019. ['Borussia Dortmund', 'Champions League', 'Newcastle United', 'BVB', 'Ajax Amsterdam']
Source: www.dpa.com
