After games in the DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund will once again turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League. On Tuesday evening (kick-off: 18:45 CET), Newcastle United will be the guests at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK for Matchday 4 of the group stage.

Half of the games of this year’s group stage have been played. With a balanced record of one win, one draw and one defeat, BVB lie second in Group F behind Paris Saint-Germain and ahead of Newcastle United and AC Milan. Thanks to a 1-0 win in the away game in Newcastle just under two weeks ago, BVB have the upper hand when it comes to the head-to-head record against the English side, and are hoping to take the next step toward the last 16 in the home game against the Magpies. “The reverse fixture against Newcastle showed that we can compete at this level with a top performance,” said BVB head coach Edin Terzic.

Before the match, he still has concerns about two players: captain Emre Can picked up an injury in Newcastle and has not been able to take part in team training since then. “With Emre, we are taking it day by day. It will be tight for tomorrow, but we have not given up hope,” said Terzic. The decision on whether Can will be in the squad will be left until the day of the match. Left-back Ramy Bensebaini had thigh problems last week, but was still available on Saturday against Bayern Munich. The coach is hoping that his defender will also be ready for action on Tuesday.

After the 4-0 home defeat against Munich, the coaches and players came together to watch some clips from the match on Sunday, especially from the opening stages, in which the Black and Yellows quickly fell to a 2-0 deficit. “We were honest with each other and analysed the game. Now, we’ve moved past it,” said midfielder Salih Özcan. “We’ve shown in the games before that, that we can do better. Tomorrow, we have a chance to show that, and I am convinced that we will perform well as a team.”

Focus on Newcastle

Since Monday, BVB have been looking forward and focusing on the match against Newcastle. The Magpies are unbeaten in their three games since losing to BVB, drawing 2-2 with Wolverhampton Wanderers and beating Arsenal 1-0 in the Premier League, and enjoying a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the League Cup in between. “We know their qualities. We found out two weeks ago how good they are,” Terzic said. “Newcastle came out of the starting blocks just as we expected: very bravely, very aggressively, with very high pressing. Nevertheless, we stood up to them from the first whistle. In the first half, we played really well, both going forward and in defence.”

The coach is also expecting a high-intensity game in IDUNA PARK SIGNAL: “We know they press very high. You need a good start and you have to stay focused until the end.” His team “have a great chance to take three points and secure the superior head-to-head record. We know that we are playing at home, and you have to win your home games if you want to make it into the knockout stages.” A victory over Newcastle would be another step toward the round of 16 for BVB.
Christina Reinke

BVB TV by 1&1:The press conference before the match against Newcastle