Borussia Dortmund may always come second whenever they face domestic nemesis Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker like last weekend’s 4-0 thrashing at Signal Iduna Park, but this does not prevent them from securing back-to-back wins in this season’s UEFA Champions League. The Black and Yellows returned to winning ways in their season endeavours last night with a 2-0 victory over English Premier League club Newcastle United at the former’s home and the Matchday 4 triumph now lifted them to the top of Group F, who is known to be the Group of Death for the top-tiered European club football competition in 2023/2024.
Dive deep into this article as we bring you the five talking points about Dortmund’s second of their back-to-back wins over Newcastle below.
Five Debating Subjects of Dortmund’s Back-to-Back UCL Wins Over Magpies
1. Experience Prevailed
Newcastle United have been an up-and-coming team in domestic football and the Champions League, after they finished fourth in the league last season and secured a huge 4-1 win over French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain this year, but even the Magpies could not find a way of scoring against Dortmund in the latter’s back-to-back wins, let alone going home with all three points in their two group fixtures against the German outfit. Clearly the English side require more veteran presence and experience when it comes to continental competitions, especially when they are up against a team like the Black and Yellows, who excelled in the said department.
Head to this article if you are interested to know about the nitty-gritty of Newcastle’s shocking 4-1 victory over PSG at St. James’ Park on Matchday 2 of this season’s UEFA Champions League.
2. Magpies’ Depth Insufficient
Newcastle’s rapid rise in the world of football has something to do with their mega fund from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, RB Sports & Media and PCP Capital Partners, following a takeover by the said organisations from Mike Ashley. Nevertheless, even with huge monetary support, such a transition from a midtable outfit to a title contender in domestic and continental aspirations requires a certain period of time, and that was displayed in Dortmund’s back-to-back wins over the Magpies. Eddie Howe’s side was without seven first-team players, including new summer signing Sandro Tonali, who is banned for 10 months over his gambling violations, and the weakened squad stood no chance against Dortmund as a result.
3. Dortmund’s Resilience Is Underrated
Borussia Dortmund is certainly one of the unluckiest teams in European club football, having came so close in the past few seasons to bag the German Bundesliga 1 title, like how they did in last season’s tight battle with Bayern Munich that saw the Bavarians win their 11th consecutive league silverware only just by goal differences. In spite of such a misfortune, one can be sure that the Black and Yellows always have a way to return to challenge for trophies.
Without any victories in their first two Matchdays of this season’s Champions League, Dortmund secured back-to-back wins over Newcastle, leapfrogging everyone to the top spot of Group F with only two remaining matches to go in the Group Stage. 30-year-old new signing Niclas Füllkrug opened the scoring in less than half an hour, while winger Julian Brandt sealed the back-to-back wins over Magpies for the home side with 11 minutes to go in the normal playing time.
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⏱️ 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘:
🇩🇪 Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle 🏴#UCL pic.twitter.com/02Vb8nY0hx
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 7, 2023
4. Marcel Sabitzer Is a Gem for Dortmund
One player who continued to show his brilliance in a Dortmund jersey is none other than Austrian star Marcel Sabitzer, who completed a transfer to the Black and Yellows from rivals Bayern earlier this year. The 29-year-old has two goals and two assists in 12 matches for his new club at Dortmund thus far, including a set-up for Füllkrug’s opener in the team’s second game of their back-to-back wins over Newcastle. His relentless energy and work rate are definitely what Manchester United lacking of in this season’s matches, having rejected the chance to sign the player on a permanent deal following the expiration of his loan move at Old Trafford.
5. Which Two Teams Will Go Through From the Group of Death?
The current standing of the Group of Death (Group F) has Dortmund topping the rest of the pack with their back-to-back wins in two weeks and seven points, followed by PSG and AC Milan at second and third with six and five points respectively. Newcastle have only four points in four Matchdays, and it will require some kind of magic for the English side to book a ticket in the next phase of the competition, since they will face PSG and Milan at Parc des Princes and St. James’ Park next.
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There you have it folks, the five talking points from Dortmund’s second triumph in their back-to-back wins over Newcastle. Let us know on which two teams are heading to the knockout round from Group F down in the comment section below.
