Exhausted Newcastle edge closer to being killed off from their Group of Death
Newcastle are on life support in the Group of Death.
This Euro campaign is on the brink of becoming a lucrative road to nowhere after a second defeat to Dortmund, and a second failure to score away from home. Eddie Howe’s side look out on their feet. Fatigued and ravaged by injuries.
But Howe’s got few other options. Newcastle couldn’t fill their bench, had two keepers on it, two players without a minute in senior football, and 17-year-old Lewis Miley, who came on to become the club’s youngest player in Europe. Geordie fans have put on a great show in the streets and terraces of Milan and Germany but Group F, including PSG, threatens to leave them without even the consolation of third place and the Europa League next year.
Worryingly, they have only managed to score in one of their four Champions League games. Newcastle were well below par. In the first half they were desperately poor, looking flat. Second half they improved, but were undone by the fine margins of the Champions League.
Goals from Niclas Fullkrug and Julian Brandt in each half inflicted only their second defeat in 13 games, while Joelinton missed a great headed chance six yards out to level.
Arsenal's transfer window winners and losers as late arrival softens Mudryk blow
Howe said: “We were not at our best. The intensity and quality of our normal game was missing and we still had moments. Joelinton’s header was a key moment for us.”
Tinkering with his starting XI here, using exhausted Anthony Gordon only as an impact sub and with teenager Lewis Hall at left back, and Tino Livramento starting at right wing, proved difficult.
Fabian Schar summed up Newcastle's feelings at full-time (FRIEDEMANN VOGEL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Dortmund’s famous Yellow Wall terrace brought gasps of wonder from the Toon staff as they saw it for the first time an hour before kick off. And the 26,000 fan terrace witnessed the opener after 26 minutes, as Fullkrug netted.
The striker finished from Marcel Sabitzer’s pull back after the Dortmund pair worked an exchange of slick passes through the defence as Hall twice failed to block. Before conceding the warning signs were evident, Nick Pope saving from Fullkrug’s 20 yard shot and batting away Karim Adeyemi’s blast.
The Geordies tucked their wingers in and had five in midfield out of possession. They had no easy out ball to get them up pitch. Chances were sparse. Kieran Trippier’s deep corner was headed back by Jamaal Lascelles for Joelinton’s header which was saved just before half-time.
Julian Brandt fired home Dortmund's second (Joachim Bywaletz/DeFodi Images/REX/Shutterstock)Not surprisingly Howe executed a major rejig after the break to liven it up. Callum Wilson, with a tight hamstring, made way for Gordon, Hall for Miggy Almiron. Newcastle had a better spell of control. But they squandered their best chance to level. Joelinton scuffed a header wide when he should have scored from Livramento’s cross.
Howe added: “It was a really good move and he would back himself to score that if it came in again. We back him. He has been outstanding for us since returning from injury.”
Pope saved from Brandt and Felix Nmecha before the home side added a second 79th minute. Trippier’s poor free-kick into the box was cleared at the front post allowing Dortmund to charge forward. Brandt used Sabitzer’s dummy run and stroked past Pope. Howe said: “With the free kick there is no blame attached. We have to be in better shape and our reaction was a bit slow.”
Losing on Tyneside by a goal damaged United’s campaign and this result has come close to killing it off. A win at PSG and home to Milan may be needed.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
