Champions League tips: Newcastle United vs Borussia Dortmund
Newcastle have continued their impressive form in the Premier League, securing a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches.
Dortmund have made a stuttering start to their Group F campaign, losing 2-0 to PSG and playing out a scoreless draw last time out to Milan on home soil.
They need a result at St. James’ Park to take momentum into the second half of the group stage.
After looking at the Champions League odds, here are our predictions for the game.
Isak to haunt former club
Alexander Isak signed for Borussia Dortmund at the age of 17 but was never given a regular run in the first team and was sold to Real Sociedad after making only 13 appearances.
He now faces his former club with a point to prove, and the 24-year-old has been in prime form this term, at least in the Premier League.
Isak has scored six goals in eight matches in the top flight, including a brace in Newcastle’s draw with West Ham before the international break.
Callum Wilson got the nod in the Magpies’ victory over Palace as Isak was forced to settle for a place on the bench.
He should be restored to the line-up for the Champions League clash. Isak didn’t score against PSG, so he is yet to get off the mark in the competition.
Whether it has been Isak or Wilson leading the line, Newcastle have been scoring goals for fun recently, especially at home where they’ve mustered 18 goals in seven games.
Isak can get the ball rolling against his old club at odds of 4/1 to score the first goal of the evening with BoyleSports. You can also check the best football betting sites for an any time price should Isak not start the game.
Newcastle to win by two goals
The Magpies are playing outstanding football at both ends of the pitch. Their win over Palace was a formality after opening the scoring, and outside of a defeat to 10-man Liverpool, St. James’ Park has been a fortress for Howe’s men this season.
PSG were greeted with a cauldron of noise by the Geordie faithful, and the atmosphere overwhelmed the French champions and allowed Newcastle to thrive on their way to a dominant victory.
Not even Manchester City could come up with a solution as they were dumped out of the EFL Cup on Tyneside courtesy of an Isak strike.
Dortmund are in great form in the Bundesliga, beginning their campaign with an eight-match unbeaten run. They’ve won their last five league games, including their triumph over Werder Bremen.
But, the Champions League has been a different story and it could leave them exposed at St. James’ Park. A strong Newcastle victory could be in the offing and they're priced at 15/4 by bet365 to win by two goals.
Malen on the counter
Dortmund will get opportunities at St. James’ Park on the counter and the pace of Donyell Malen could allow him to get a couple of shots away at Nick Pope’s net.
Newcastle have a strong defensive record at home, although Lucas Hernandez proved their goal can be breached as he scored PSG’s solitary effort in their visit last month.
Malen has been active for Dortmund in the final third. He’s averaging 2.65 shots per game in all competitions this season, 26 shots in total.
The encouraging aspect for the Dutchman is that 53.46% of all of his shots have been on target, including four in one game against Heidenheim in the Bundesliga.
He does take set pieces as well, so free kicks in and around the Newcastle box are also a possibility for him to register strikes on target. There are plenty of prices available with UK betting sites for Malen to hit the target.
With our final bet, we’re backing Malen to have over one shot on target at 19/5 with William Hill.
Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.
