Marseille Overcome Early Newcastle Goal in 2-1 Champions League Victory
MARSEILLE, France – Marseille overturned an early Harvey Barnes goal to defeat Newcastle United 2-1 at the Stade Vélodrome on Tuesday night, leaving the Magpies with a bruising start to their Champions League campaign. A second-half strike from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved decisive, capitalizing on a Newcastle error after the restart.
The defeat highlights Newcastle’s ongoing vulnerabilities away from home, despite a proactive approach to negate the intimidating atmosphere generated by the fervent Marseille supporters. The home side created a “white-hot atmosphere” and were demonstrably vocal even during the pre-match warm-up, loudly whistling the officials. Flares and ticker tape accompanied a tifo display with a banner reading “For my town,for my club.”
Newcastle, however, appeared prepared for the opposed habitat, having trained at the Velodrome on monday evening and adjusted their game-day routine “to keep the players mentally engaged and ready for this game,” according to manager Eddie Howe. They initially reaped the rewards, with Barnes scoring in the sixth minute, continuing his impressive form after a match-winning double against Manchester City on Sunday.
However, Marseille, second in Ligue 1, responded strongly, and Newcastle failed to capitalize on their early advantage. Aubameyang had several opportunities in the first half, foreshadowing the danger to come.
The decisive moment arrived shortly after the break following a “sloppy kick-off” from Newcastle defender Fabian Schar.A series of lost duels in the opposition half allowed Timothy Weah to find Darryl Bakola,whose through-ball split the Newcastle defense. Aubameyang then exploited a poor decision by Newcastle goalkeeper nick Pope, who rushed off his line and was beaten to the ball, finishing from a tight angle.
Despite the error,howe publicly “backed” Pope after the match,referencing his “some really good saves against Manchester City just three days ago.” Still, the result exposed familiar defensive frailties for Newcastle on their travels.
