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On a grimy old Tyneside night, reality sent a cold shower through Newcastle’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
This demonstrated that the opulently wealthy Geordies were still newbies at the top table, even though they may have all the money in Saudi Arabia to throw at Europe’s best club competition.
Midfielder Felix Nmecha, who was strongly linked to a summer transfer to St James Park but ultimately decided to leave Wolfsburg for Borussia Dortmund, undid Eddie Howe’s team in the transfer window.
Nico Schlotterbeck initiated a strong move that was concluded by Nmecha’s goal just before halftime. This group is intriguingly poised with both teams tied on points ahead of a rematch at the Westfalenstadion on Tuesday week.
When the two met at the theater on Monday night, “King” Kevin Keegan gave Boss Howe the royal mark of approval. Now, he has to accomplish what Keegan was unable to accomplish and take home a trophy from this club.
Keegan had hinted that Newcastle would win the Champions League this year, still a forlorn dreamer in his dotage.
However, this is not always the case, and Howe—a more pragmatic person than his well-known ancestor—realizes this.
Despite all of their Middle Eastern oil wonga, Paris Saint-Germain, who were destroyed 4-1 here three weeks ago, are still waiting to win the renowned big-eared trophy, whereas Manchester City had to wait a generation to do it.
After a 20-year break, Champions League football returned to St James’ Park, where that oil-firm derby was played amid a carnival atmosphere.
The locals were once again in terrific voice, but their team lacked the cunning to take advantage of Dortmund’s seasoned European veterans.
Nick Pope produced a magnificent double save early on, but after Alexander Isak was substituted due to injury, Callum Wilson twice came close to tying the score in the second half.
For Dortmund’s visit—who came in unbeaten in the Bundesliga but at the bottom of this group—Howe selected the same starting eleven that had soundly defeated PSG.
Group F features an AC Milan club that is far from vintage, a Dortmund team that is without a player the size of Jude Bellingham, and a PSG outfit that is without Neymar and Lionel Messi.
However, it is still living up to its reputation as the “Group of Death,” and the Geordies will now need to get a couple of wins in Dortmund and Paris before coming back to this place to play AC Milan in December.
After the team’s crushing of Crystal Palace on Saturday, Sandro Tonali, who is facing a lengthy penalty for violating betting regulations, was left on the bench for the first hour of play.
Both goalkeepers were put to the test in the opening two minutes: Anthony Gordon attempted a curling shot that Gregor Kobel blocked, while Pope made a save with his feet to stop Donyell Malen.
Pope soon executed a remarkable double save, launching himself in opposite directions to stop Malen and Niclas Fullkrug.
It’s amazing that Gareth Southgate is presently keeping Pope out of the England team.
Nevertheless, Newcastle broke quickly from the ensuing corner, with Isak supplying Gordon, whose effort was stopped by Kobel at his near post.
But it wasn’t without a price: while making the pass, Isak was hurt by a tackle from behind.
Dortmund was a considerably more disciplined and formidable squad than PSG had been; they often forced a series of corners and had the Toon backpedaling.
However, Miguel Almiron stumbled over his own feet when attempting a shot after Bruno Guimaraes, who appears to be born with this Champions League style, pinged a lofted pass to him.
Shortly after Almiron’s fall, the Geordies made a strong case for a penalty against Schlotterbeck, but Portuguese referee Artur Dias refused to give in.
Gordon was turning into a true threat, and the people there were ecstatic every time their team won a corner, joyful as otters in the pouring rain.
Emre Can, a former midfielder for Liverpool, had hardly hobbled off for Dortmund when the Germans took the lead at the 45-minute mark.
After winning a crucial tackle in his own end, Schlotterbeck raced forward to send a superbly weighted pass to Nmecha, who finished with a fizzed effort.
This verified our suspicions from a few weeks prior, that PSG had performed as poorly as Newcastle had, and that Howe’s club would have more difficult games ahead of them.
The Toon Army responded with gusto after the intermission, which appeared to encourage their boys.
Wilson exchanged passes with Gordon after Fabian Schar won a fantastic tackle that turned into a pass, but Kobel stopped his shot when he was just a foot away from point-blank range.
Injury forced Jacob Murphy to leave practically as soon as he entered as a substitute.
However, Wilson’s attempt struck the crossbar as Matt Targett’s left-wing free kick struck his shoulder as Newcastle mounted a late comeback.
And as the hosts closed with a flourish that ultimately proved to be in vain, Gordon’s shot in the last seconds blasted off the turf and onto the bar.
