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Joe Willock is convinced Newcastle can \u201cbeat any team in the world\u201d as they look to bounce back from their first Champions League setback.<\/p>\n
The Magpies went down 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in torrential rain at St James\u2019 Park on Wednesday evening on a night when they learned just how fine the margins can be at the elite level of club football.<\/p>\n
After a hard-fought draw at AC Milan and a stunning 4-1 win over Paris St Germain, they now sit in joint second place with the Germans in Group F at the halfway stage, with both on four points, two behind leaders PSG, but facing back-to-back trips to Dortmund and Paris next month.<\/p>\n
However, asked if they could thrive in those two intensely difficult fixtures, Willock said: \u201cYes, 100 per cent. We can beat any team in the world when we\u2019re at our best, I actually believe that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to analyse this game and we\u2019re going to look to go there and win the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is where we want to be. We want to compete at this level. This is Newcastle United and we have to compete at this level.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe set out our targets at the start of the season and we want to reach them. We have a really tight group and a brilliant manager who will put us on the straight and narrow and we\u2019ll continue pushing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Felix Nmecha\u2019s goal on the stroke of half-time ultimately settled a pulsating encounter which Dortmund perhaps shaded, although they were indebted to both keeper Gregor Kobel, who made a vital second-half save from Callum Wilson, and the woodwork, which denied both Wilson and Anthony Gordon in a rousing conclusion.<\/p>\n
Willock said: \u201cWe were just a bit disappointed that we couldn\u2019t tuck away those chances. We\u2019re competing at the highest level now. We\u2019re going to analyse it, we\u2019re going to look back at it and we\u2019re not going to let it set us back too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
If dropped points were painful for Eddie Howe\u2019s men, so too were injuries to striker Alexander Isak, who aggravated a groin problem he picked up on international duty with Sweden, and Jacob Murphy, who suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder just minutes after being introduced as a substitute.<\/p>\n
With midfielder Sandro Tonali awaiting the outcome of an investigation into alleged breaches of betting rules which reports from Italy have suggested could see him banned for 10 months, Howe could be facing a selection crisis.<\/p>\n
In the circumstances, Willock\u2019s surprise return from the bench against Dortmund after hamstring and Achilles problems was a welcome boost.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old tore his hamstring during a 4-1 victory over Brighton on May 18 and was a frustrated bystander as Newcastle clinched a first Champions League campaign for 20 years after a 0-0 draw with Leicester four days later.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt was very hard to deal with. On one side, I was very happy for the team and I was over the moon that we achieved what we set out to do last season, and now we\u2019re competing in the Champions League.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut at the same time, I was disappointed to get injured. Even so, I\u2019m back now and I\u2019m looking to push on. I\u2019m really happy to be back and I can help the team a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n