Borussia Dortmund travel to St James Park' on Wednesday, where they will take on a high-flying Newcastle team. The last time the German outfit faced an English side, they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.
Newcastle
The Magpies are in unbelievable form at the moment, with momentum on their side and morale at an all time high. Eddie Howe's team are unbeaten in their last eight matches and they have won six of those games. Newcastle average one goal conceded per game in the Premier League and they have netted 24 goals already in nine matches. Most importantly for Newcastle, they have turned their home into a fortress.
We saw this last time out in the UCL, when they convincingly put four past French giants PSG. St James' Park was bouncing even before the first whistle and by half time, the Magpies were 2-0 up. Sean Longstaff added the third just after the break, but PSG replied instantly. The tie was already completed by the time Fabian Schar launched a rocket into the top corner, which topped off a perfect evening for the hosts. Newcastle top the group on four points, as they also drew 0-0 against Milan at the San Siro.
Borussia Dortmund
BVB are unbeaten so far in the Bundesliga which is down to Edin Terzic's slightly more reserved approach, a style we don't associate with Dortmund. They have conceded just one goal per game on average this season, but they have still scored an average of over two goals per match. Julian Brandt has been the star player, registering seven goal contributions, but he is yet to showcase his quality on the Champions League stage.
In fact, Dortmund are yet to score in Europe after a 2-0 defeat to PSG and a 0-0 home draw versus Milan. There was 32 shots and 13 corners in the goalless draw against the Italian side, but neither team were able to take their opportunities in front of goal. BVB had the majority of possession, but the quality of chances fell to Milan, who were unable to score with an XG of 1.65.
Verdict?
Everything seems to be going Newcastle's way at the moment and they have showed that they do not fear anyone, which makes me believe they will just edge this tie. Dortmund have been rather solid but goal scoring in Europe has been a slight issue.
The final prediction is Newcastle 2-0 Borussia Dortmund.
