Alan Shearer claims Newcastle deserved NOTHING from Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund and the German giants’ 1-0 win was not a ‘fluke’… but Eddie Howe begs to differ!
- MATCH REPORT: German giants stun Eddie Howe’s Magpies in the pouring rain
- Borussia Dortmund’s display left an impression on Newcastle icon Alan Shearer
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Alan Shearer insists Borussia Dortmund’s win over Newcastle was far from a ‘fluke’, claiming his old side deserved nothing from the game.
There was lots of optimism in the air after Newcastle dismantled a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain side at home last time out in the Champions League.
But in a dominant first half, Dortmund went ahead through Felix Nmecha and they defended resolutely thereafter in a major downpour to condemn their hosts to defeat.
‘You can’t say it was a fluke,’ Shearer said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
‘Dortmund might have been lucky once or twice in the last 10 minutes when it hit the bar but they defended so well.
Anthony Gordon was left in disbelief after Newcastle rattled the woodwork multiple times
Borussia Dortmund’s defence, led by Mats Hummels (pictured), rallied to hold on to a 1-0 lead
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‘They have played Newcastle really well and played the crowd really well. They were such a threat on the break.’
The Newcastle legend added: ‘If Newcastle are honest then I think they’ll accept they didn’t deserve anything from the game.’
One man who is at odds with Shearer’s assessment is Newcastle manager Eddie Howe who, when speaking to TNT Sports after the game, felt defeat was a harsh reflection on his team.
‘We grew into the game in the second half with the chances we created and the woodwork denied us,’ Howe said.
‘I don’t think we deserved to lose today.’
Dortmund did what PSG never could on their visit in that they started quickly and were able to punish the hosts’ high press.
‘We knew they were going to press us high. We managed it well in the first half but the second was all about them,’ Dortmund boss Edin Terzic told TNT Sports.
Eddie Howe felt his side deserved to get something out the game, but Alan Shearer disagreed
Felix Nmecha (left) got the only goal of the game in an impressive first half from Dortmund
‘I wanted the second goal. In the end we found that it was going to be quite difficult to score and then you need to defend and protect.
‘With the first half we deserved to win and the second half we protected the win.’
For Shearer, it was as much a frustration with Newcastle as it was credit to Dortmund that his old side never really got a foothold in the game.
‘With the form Newcastle have been and the amount of goals they’ve been scoring, we were expecting that again this evening but it never really happened,’ Shearer would add.
‘Dortmund didn’t allow them to get a foot in the game.
‘In the first half, they played high risk football and managed to get ahead. In the second half, they were happy to sit back and they defended so well.’
Newcastle are third in their group after three matches – one win, one draw and one defeat – and they face tricky trips to Dortmund and Paris to come, before also hosting AC Milan at St James’ Park, as they bid to reach the knockout stages.
Shearer felt Dortmund smothered Newcastle and did not allow them to get a grip of the game
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