Fullkrug, Brandt strike to give Borussia Dortmund double over Newcastle

Borussia Dortmund dealt a potentially fatal blow to Newcastle United’s UEFA Champions League hopes on Tuesday evening, securing a 2-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park. A first-half goal by Niclas Fullkrug and an 11th-minute strike from Julian Brandt sealed the three points for Dortmund in front of 81,365 passionate home fans.

The result boosts Dortmund’s Group F standing, earning them seven points from four games, which is three more than Newcastle’s four points from the same number of matches. Dortmund also defeated the English Premier League club 1-0 at St James’ Park just two weeks ago. The outcome might have been different had Joelinton not missed a close-range header when Newcastle was trailing only 1-0.

Dortmund’s manager, Edin Terzic, will be pleased with his team’s resolute performance, rebounding from a harsh 4-0 defeat to rivals Bayern Munich. The famous Yellow Wall of Dortmund supporters had plenty to celebrate as their team made an impressive comeback.

However, injury-plagued Newcastle struggled to find an attacking spark and now face an uphill battle in their quest to progress from the group stage, marking their first UCL campaign in over a decade. Eddie Howe’s side created opportunities but couldn’t capitalize on an ultimately disappointing night.

The result leaves Dortmund in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages, while Newcastle’s hopes dangle by a thread. Both teams will wrap up their group campaign against other opponents, with Dortmund set to face AC Milan and Newcastle taking on the Group leaders, Paris Saint-Germain.