Newcastle United squandered an early lead against Marseille in the Champions League, ultimately losing 2-1 after two quick second-half goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, leaving manager Eddie Howe’s side disappointed with the away defeat.
Harvey Barnes opened the scoring for the Magpies, but a quick-fire brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealed the comeback for the French side.
The final result was widely attributed to key individual errors and a collective drop in performance after the break.
Here is a breakdown of the players’ performances and ratings (out of 10) from the match:
Goalkeeper
Nick Pope — 4/10
The goalkeeper’s performance was unfortunately defined by a “moment of madness” seconds into the second half. He made a completely “catastrophic” decision to rush far out of his box, making it easy for Aubameyang to fire into an empty net and instantly shift the momentum of the entire fixture.
Defenders
Jacob Murphy — 5/10
Deployed in a wing-back role, Murphy struggled to maintain defensive alertness throughout the contest. While his initial application was adequate, his overall effectiveness soon waned, and he failed to contribute meaningful quality in the attacking third either.
Malick Thiaw — 7/10
Thiaw emerged as the visiting team’s Man of the Match and was one of the few players who could hold his head high. He was consistently solid and managed to make an “outstanding last-ditch challenge” to prevent a certain goal, proving hard to fault despite the team’s eventual loss.
Fabian Schär — 6/10
The experienced central defender “battled bravely,” but the sheer pace of the Marseille forward line posed a continual test for him. His positioning was questioned on the second goal, where he was caught out and arguably made it easier for Aubameyang to find the back of the net.
Dan Burn — 6/10
Burn’s return to the team was an unhappy one, marked by several uncertain defensive moments. He also picked up a yellow card and, unfortunately, missed a crucial opportunity to score an equaliser late in the match.
Midfielders
Sandro Tonali — 6/10
The Italian midfielder was instrumental in the opening goal, expertly exploiting the offside trap to set up Harvey Barnes. However, much like the rest of the midfield, his influence faded dramatically as the home side dominated possession and territory in the middle of the park.
Joe Willock — 6/10
He was heavily involved in the brilliant build-up to the early goal, showing good vision and passing. Despite starting brightly, Willock struggled to sustain his performance, largely disappearing from the game as Marseille successfully controlled the tempo.
Joelinton — 6/10
The powerful midfielder worked tirelessly and battled hard to win possession. However, his significant effort did not translate into enough sustained control or influence to prevent the home side from asserting their superiority throughout the match.
Attackers
Anthony Gordon — 5/10
Gordon was unable to provide the necessary threat on the flank. He was described as “sluggish” in the first period, and although he contributed a touch to the opening goal, his overall contribution was disappointing.
Harvey Barnes — 7/10
Barnes continued his “sizzling form” by emphatically clipping the ball into the corner to give Newcastle the early lead. He was visibly “lively” and a constant threat in the first half, but his impact, sadly, diminished as the team lost control of the game.
Nick Woltemade — 5/10
Starting up front, the striker struggled to impose his presence against the rugged Marseille backline. He found it difficult to hold up the ball effectively or create space for the wingers, resulting in an ineffective performance at the spearhead of the attack.