Newcastle United may have been beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but there were still some impressive performances in black and white.
Nick Pope was exceptional in between the sticks, making some sensational saves to deny Dortmund in the first half. It was reminiscent of his performance against AC Milan earlier in the competition.
But while Pope was excellent, Newcastle’s major star in the Champions League was Anthony Gordon.
The 22-year-old was fantastic against Borussia Dortmund, and was at the heart of everything that was good about the Magpies’ display.
He came incredibly close to scoring, having two efforts saved by Gregor Kobel as well as hitting the bar. On another night, he would have got a goal.
At times, the £40million player was absolutely electric. He was Newcastle’s one creative force on a night when Eddie Howe’s side just fell short against a strong team.
Don Hutchison was seriously impressed with Anthony Gordon vs Dortmund
Newcastle came agonizingly close to getting an equaliser against Dortmund, and former West Ham midfielder and Toon fan Don Hutchison is shocked that the Magpies did not get a point.
He reacted to the defeat on X (formerly known as Twitter) after the game, and heaped praise on Anthony Gordon for his display.
Hutchison wrote: “Fantastic game that at St James Park. Two very very good sides. Newcastle not at their best. How Newcastle not got a point out of that. Cross Bar hit twice in the last 5 mins. Anthony Gordon was outstanding. Group of death.”
Newcastle winger was excellent despite Champions League defeat
Gordon has been arguably Newcastle’s best player this season, and it is great to see him shining on the grand stage that is the Champions League.
He plays with a real sense of responsibility, confident in his ability that he can be a game-changer for the Magpies.
The former Everton lad was a constant threat on Wednesday night, giving Dortmund defender Marius Wolf a torrid evening.
Sadly for Gordon and Newcastle, he was unable to provide the golden touch in the final third. And funnily enough, it was his attempt to create something that ultimately led to the Magpies conceding the only goal of the game.
Football can be cruel.
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