DORTMUND: A late goal from Julian Brandt sealed a 2-0 home win for Borussia Dortmund over Newcastle on Tuesday, severely denting the English side’s hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout phase.
Returning to the Champions League after two decades, Newcastle traveled to Dortmund needing a win to put them back on course for a place in the last 16, but were outclassed by the German side from start to finish.
The victory saw Dortmund go top of a difficult Group F with two games remaining, three points clear of Newcastle and with the head-to-head advantage.
Paris Saint-Germain can retain their lead in the section by avoiding defeat at AC Milan later on Tuesday.
Injury-hit Newcastle traveled to Dortmund without a full complement of players, manager Eddie Howe losing defenders Dan Burn and Matt Targett to long-term injuries in his side’s 1-0 win over Arsenal on the weekend.
Comprehensively outplayed just three days ago against a Harry Kane-powered Bayern, Dortmund stormed confidently into the match, Niclas Fuellkrug and Karim Adeyemi unleashing fierce shots on Newcastle’s goal within the opening 15 minutes.
The 30-year-old Fuellkrug, a year on from making his Germany debut, broke the deadlock midway through the half, scoring his first goal in the Champions League.
Felix Nmecha, who scored the game’s only goal at St. James’ Park, along with Brandt controlled play in midfield, always seemingly at arm’s length from the undermanned Newcastle defense.
The sides traded blows early in the second, Dortmund’s Brandt forcing saves from Nick Pope either side of a wayward header from Newcastle’s Joelinton.
A tired Adeyemi gave away a dangerous free-kick on the left of the box with 10 minutes to go, but Kieran Trippier’s poor delivery allowed Dortmund the opportunity to counter and kill off the match.
Adeyemi won the ball back and blasted a perfect pass into Newcastle’s half, into the path of the onrushing Brandt.
The Dortmund midfielder made the most of the two-on-one, shaping to pass before steering past a helpless Pope to double the lead.
Dortmund’s win means they are the only side to have beaten Newcastle in the Premier League side’s past 13 matches, having now done so twice in a fortnight.
Brandt inspires Dortmund to damage Newcastle’s last-16 hopes
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Brandt inspires Dortmund to damage Newcastle’s last-16 hopes
- Newcastle traveled to Dortmund needing a win to put them back on course for a place in the last 16, but were outclassed by the German side from start to finish
- Dortmund’s win means they are the only side to have beaten Newcastle in the Premier League side’s past 13 matches, having now done so twice in a fortnight
Ferhat stars as Mouloudia get CAF Champions League boost
- Muslim Anatouf scored after 15 minutes and a Ferhat thunderbolt on 44 minutes gave Mouloudia a two-goal half-time advantage
- It would have been an injustice if the Sudanese club had snatched a draw
JOHANNESBURG: Zinedine Ferhat created the first goal and scored the second for Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in a 2-1 win over Al Hilal of Sudan 2-1 on Friday that threw CAF Champions League Group C wide open.
Muslim Anatouf scored after 15 minutes and a Ferhat thunderbolt on 44 minutes gave Mouloudia a two-goal half-time advantage before a near-capacity crowd in the 45,000-seat Algiers stadium.
Hilal rarely threatened to reduce the deficit in a cauldron of cheering, singing and flag waving until Mauritanian Ahmed Salem M’Bareck netted with 13 minutes remaining.
Ghanaian substitute Kamaradini Mamudu had a late chance to bring Hilal level, but his header from a corner flew wide.
It would have been an injustice if the Sudanese club had snatched a draw, however, as they were outplayed by quicker, slicker Mouloudia for long periods of an often scrappy, foul-ridden match.
Despite losing for the first time in the group after two victories and two draws, Hilal retained first place with eight points.
Topping the table in the most competitive of the four groups is a remarkable achievement by Hilal given they have to stage home matches in Rwanda because of the ongoing Sudanese civil war.
Mouloudia had just one point after matchday three, but back-to-back home wins over Saint-Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Hilal have lifted them to second with seven points.
Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa have five points, one more than Lupopo, ahead of their clash in Lubumbashi on Sunday.
A win for Lupopo would leave Sundowns in danger of missing the knockout stage of the premier African club competition for only the second time since winning the 2016 final against Zamalek of Egypt.
In the final round on February 14, Hilal host Lupopo and Sundowns will have home advantage over Mouloudia, whose South African coach, Rhulani Mokwena, was formerly in charge of the Pretoria club.
