1-0 Win Over Newcastle Highlights New Pragmatism

At what point do we accept that a series of results is by design? That’s a question that Borussia Dortmund fans will ask about head coach Edin Terzic after his side narrowly beat Newcastle United 1-0 on the road thanks to a goal by Felix Nmecha (45’).

“We had a fantastic first half, when we deserved the win,” Edin Terzic said to DAZN after the game. “In the second, we defended it. We invested a lot, showed a lot of passion, and gave everything to bring that win home.”

Nmecha, signed to replace no-less than Jude Bellingham, has provided Dortmund with a life preserver in Group F, better known as the group of death. After a defeat to PSG and a draw to Milan, Dortmund needed a result against Newcastle to stay alive. The victory and Milan’s 3-0 defeat to PSG, however, changed the complexity of this group entirely. All of a sudden, Dortmund is second, and a win against Newcastle in a fortnight could lay the foundation for the next round.

Altogether, a remarkable turn of events, considering that just a few weeks ago, Dortmund seemed in full crisis mode. The Black and Yellows had lost to PSG and, in the Bundesliga, had dropped points against Bochum (1-1) and Heidenheim (2-2).

Since those two results, however, Dortmund has won five in a row. That run included victories over Freiburg (4-2), Wolfsburg (1-0), Hoffenheim (3-1), Union Berlin (4-2) and Werder (1-0). The results against Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg, and Werder, in particular, stand out in the way Dortmund has gotten those victories in the most efficient manner possible.

In fact, those narrow victories seem to be part of a bigger trend. Rather than the progressive attacking football of the Jürgen Klopp era, Terzic seems to increasingly go for a pragmatic approach. Perhaps that approach is a hangover of the way Dortmund lost the title to Bayern Munich on the final matchday of the Bundesliga last season.

Dortmund, after all, lost the title on goal differential only. In other words, the draws against Stuttgart (3-3) and Mainz (2-2) towards the end of the season can be pinpointed as the results in which the club threw away the title.

With that in mind, it is almost refreshing that Dortmund now seem to grind out results, even if the Black and Yellows were a bit lucky that Newcastle hit the crossbar twice and that goalkeeper Gregor Kobel had an excellent performance. “I always try to help my team, and that means to be ready when I am needed,” Kobel said after the game. “Towards the end, we were a bit lucky that Newcastle hit the crossbar twice.”

At the same time, Dortmund did withstand an incredible press by Newcastle and produced their own chances. “We were under pressure after securing just one point from the first two games,” Kobel said. “It was a bad situation and a must-win game. We showed effort and played with heart.”

Playing with effort and heart has certainly been a big part of this Dortmund side lately. It almost feels like a fundamental part of the football Terzic wants his team to play. And although it isn’t always pretty, and at times it requires luck, it might be just enough for Dortmund to finally win a major trophy with Terzic in charge.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth and on Threads: @manuveth