Newcastle United enthusiasts were anticipating another memorable Champions League evening when they faced Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, but their hopes were dashed. Following the exhilaration of the Paris Saint-Germain match, this served as a stark reminder for the St James’ Park crowd. The PSG match had a distinct aura, with the excitement building up during the warm-up and persisting throughout the game, driven by an extraordinary performance from Newcastle.
Nevertheless, the noise levels were not quite as impressive when Borussia Dortmund visited Tyneside on Wednesday. Despite an impressive pre-match display by Wor Flags, the atmosphere fell short of the intensity witnessed during the PSG encounter.
Now, TalkSPORT analyst Jason Cundy has shared his evaluation of the support for Newcastle, as Eddie Howe’s team slipped to third place in their Champions League group.
Cundy thought Newcastle fans were ‘quiet’ against Borussia Dortmund
Following the 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy spoke on TalkSPORT about the St James’ Park crowd.
“While we appreciate the spectacular atmosphere that can be found here, it’s important to remember that these athletes perform in front of such crowds every week,” he remarked.
“These individuals are seasoned professionals who are well-acquainted with this environment. There was a moment in the second half when they began strongly, and at that point, St. James’ Park fell silent. It was remarkably quiet, with only the sound of the drum filling the air. The noise was being generated by the Dortmund team.”
Dortmund silenced St James’ Park
Cundy is accurate. On Wednesday night, Dortmund occasionally rendered St. James’ Park completely silent. Their performance helped to calm the audience while a fantastic traveling support and a really loud drum encouraged them.
Compared to the PSG match, the atmosphere inside St. James’ Park was completely different. It was nowhere like as flat as it was for our first Champions League game at home, even though it wasn’t as flat as it was on Saturday for Crystal Palace.
While there were some loud and boisterous moments, the noise level was not constant like it was when PSG was being opposed. That was most likely due to the result, as Toon supporters were unable to build momentum the way they had against the Ligue 1 heavyweights.
St. James’ Park saw moments of quiet as Dortmund defeated Eddie Howe’s team to win their first Champions League match of the year.
As they get ready to go to Germany and France before bringing AC Milan to the North East, the Magpies now have their hands full.
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