Revenge will be on the agenda for Newcastle United on Tuesday evening when they travel to Germany to face Borussia Dortmund in a crunch Champions League Group F clash.
The Magpies were beaten 0-1 by Dortmund a fortnight ago at St James’ Park, which saw them slip below Edin Terzic’s men in Group F. However, they will continue their bid to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League and will go into the game in high spirits following wins over Manchester United and Arsenal.
On the contrary, Edin Terzic will hope to see a rousing response from his side after Saturday’s woeful performance in the 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich. A win would see the Black and Yellows move to seven points and potentially in charge of Group F, only if PSG loses to AC Milan on Wednesday.
With a mouthwatering clash on the cards, here are the key battles that could define the outcome of this game.
#Anthony Gordon vs Marius Wolf
Anthony Gordon has arguably been Newcastle’s best player so far this season, adding goals to his game. It was his goal on Saturday that helped Newcastle consign Arsenal to their first Premier League defeat of the campaign, albeit in a controversial manner.
The 22-year-old winger remains one of the Newcastle players that could secure all three points for his side. This is based on the fact that the Englishman is potent in the final third and his ability to time his runs behind the opposition’s defence to perfection. So, Marius Wolf will have his work cut out.
Wolf has been a mainstay in the Dortmund defence, offering energy, overlapping runs and width from right-back. He had a bright game at St James’ Park, showing composure and control on the ball in testing conditions. However, the German isn’t great defensively when it comes to 1v1, and as a result, Wolf will need to be at the top of his game to keep an in-form Gordon quiet.
#Salih Ozcan vs Joelinton
With Emre Can still sidelined, Salih Ozcan will start in a defensive midfield role against Newcastle United. The Turkish international will hope to deliver a much-improved performance after struggling against Bayern Munich last weekend.
On Tuesday, though, Ozcan must significantly raise the level of his performance as he will likely come up against Joelinton. The Brazilian worked tirelessly in the middle of the park and helped Newcastle register a famous win over Arsenal in the Premier League. He will be hoping to bring his energy, athleticism and physicality to unlock the Dortmund backline.
Due to Joelinton’s ability to make late runs in the box and create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates in attack, Ozcan is expected to have his hands full in the upcoming game.
#Julian Brandt vs Tino Livramento
Julian Brandt has been Dortmund’s most creative player this season, bagging four assists and as many goals in 10 league appearances. As Terzic is expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation on Tuesday, Brandt could find himself shifted to the left flank, where he could come up against Tino Livramento.
Livramento came on in the second half for the injured Dan Burn against Arsenal and dealt brilliantly with Gabriel Martinelli, giving the Brazilian forward barely any space to run into and create opportunities. This should have given the 20-year-old a lot of confidence ahead of potentially facing another tricky customer in Brandt, whose vision and incisive passing could cause all kinds of problems for the visitors’ defence.
It will be interesting to see who emerges on top in this key battle.
