Dortmund – Newcastle : Preview & Prediction
Just two weeks after defeating Newcastle 1-0 to open UEFA Champions League (UCL) Group F, Borussia Dortmund are now preparing to welcome them to Signal Iduna Park for the eagerly awaited second leg. Edin Terzić’s men have recorded mixed results at home since that memorable night on Tyneside (G1, E1, P1), a run that culminated in their heaviest home defeat at “Der Klassiker” (4-0) last weekend against arch-rivals Bayern Munich.
Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel said there was “no excuse” for that result, but there is at least an immediate chance to assert themselves in the top two in Group F with a good result here. A four-game winless run at home against English opponents prior to this paints a bleak picture (E1, P3), however, the historic Bundesliga side should come into this clash with confidence having lost just one of their last 16 UCL group-stage home games (G9, E6, P1).
Newcastle have done some soul-searching since their loss to Dortmund, drawing with Wolves before changing their style to beat Manchester United and Arsenal without conceding goals, the latter of which they scored two years since Eddie Howe agreed to join the then relegation battling club! Never losing to German opponents in the club’s history may bring even more comfort to the “Toon Army” (G2, E1), however, the most recent such encounter was in 2006/07.
Still, Newcastle are historically strong in the UEFA group stage, losing only three of their last 21 such matches in any condition (G11, E7). That solid performance matches well with Newcastle’s away form this season, as they have followed defeats in their first two official away matches with an unbeaten run of five games (G2, E3), albeit with their last two draws seeing them lose the lead on three occasions.
Players to watch: While he missed the previous match due to injury, Dortmund’s Julian Brandt may be back with a vengeance after scoring the first or last goal in two of his last four appearances. Trying to outdo him may be Miguel Almiron, whose four goals this season came in wins by more than one goal, while three also helped open the scoring.
Weekend stat: Only one of Dortmund’s last six official matches has gone into halftime with the score level (MT: G2, E1, P3).
Dortmund – Newcastle : Betting Tips
Newcastle – Win Odds: 2.55
