Newcastle are staring down the barrel of an early Champions League exit after a dismal 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. Eddie Howe’s side have picked up just four points from their opening four matches, and having lost home and away to Dortmund, they now have a mountain to climb if they are to reach the knockout stages.
Niclas Fullkrug scored the first goal of the game, finishing tidily after a cut-back from Marcel Sabitzer, with Lewis Hall completely bypassed in the build-up. Joelinton could have brought Newcastle level after the Magpies’ bold opening to the second half, but he somehow managed to miss a header from five yards out.
Newcastle were made to pay for the missed chance, as Dortmund added a second on 78 minutes when Julian Brandt sprinted away on the counter and finished brilliantly into the bottom corner. Hall’s nightmare, and Joelinton’s miss, leave the Magpies in very real danger of dropping into the Europa League.
GOAL rates Newcastle’s players from Signal Iduna Park…
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Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Nick Pope (6/10):
Beaten all ends up by both goals but kept Newcastle in it at times, making some superb stops.
Kieran Trippier (5/10):
Some superb deliveries but some stray passing, and a defensive performance that left plenty to be desired.
Jamaal Lascelles (4/10):
Guilty of a poor touch before Fullkrug’s goal and just doesn’t have the technical ability to play out against such an organised press.
Fabian Schar (5/10):
Could do nothing to prevent either of Dortmund’s goals. Stood up well to their physicality.
Lewis Hall (2/10):
Booked early on and beaten completely in the build-up to Fullkrug’s goal when he could have made a vital interception. Hooked at half-time by his manager, who should have deployed Trippier at left-back and Livramento at right-back from the start. Hall was, unfortunately, a deer in headlights, and that’s the fault of his manager.
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Getty ImagesMidfield
Bruno Guimaraes (4/10):
Far too quiet. Newcastle need Bruno to make things happen, and he failed in Germany. Effectively marked out of the game.
Sean Longstaff (5/10):
Put in plenty of hard work but just couldn’t find a spark to make a difference further up the pitch.
Joe Willock (4/10):
Struggled to get up to the pace of the game and was bypassed often by Dortmund’s effective possession. Subbed late on.
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Getty ImagesAttack
Tino Livramento (6/10):
Made one excellent delivery into the box, from which Joelinton missed a sitter, and ran all night long. Probably Newcastle’s best outfield player. but given Hall’s struggles, Howe’s decision to start him as a winger was bizarre.
Callum Wilson (5/10):
Fed off scraps in the first-half and was replaced at half-time. A subdued display.
Joelinton (3/10):
Tucked in at times and got involved in the defensive side of the game but missed a sitter at 1-0, as he somehow sent a header wide from five yards out. Dortmund went on to double their lead; it feels a mistake he will long regret.
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