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Newcastle 2-0 Athletic Club Player Ratings Nick Pope (8.9); Dan Burn (8.3); Joelinton (8.3); Harvey Barnes (7.3); Anthony Gordon (5.6); Unai Simón (5.6); Jesús Areso (6.9)
Newcastle beat Athletic Club 2–0 at St James’ Park, settling the tie with headers early and after half-time. Dan Burn opened the scoring with a curled header in the 11th minute and Joelinton added a second with a close-range header after the break, giving Newcastle a deserved win.
The result moves Newcastle up the table and is their third straight Champions League victory. Athletic arrived depleted by injuries and missed several first-team players, which limited their attacking options.
They had a couple of moments, Adama Boiro hit the post and Unai Gómez came close, but lacked the finishing touch when it mattered.
Newcastle controlled set pieces and used their physical edge inside the box; Kieran Trippier’s delivery and the team’s aerial quality created both goals.
Athletic tried to play through midfield and counter, but poor marking on set pieces and a thin squad cost them. Overall, Newcastle did enough to win; Athletic have work to do to climb out of a tricky league.
Nick Pope (8.9) — Man of the Match
A rock at the back. Pope made five saves, including two inside the box that kept Newcastle ahead. His handling was sharp, with two high claims and a key punch under pressure.
The England international prevented 1.15 expected goals and looked confident with his passing and sweeping. A complete display from start to finish.
Kieran Trippier (8.2)
Another solid night for the captain. Trippier assisted Burn’s opener with a brilliant cross and worked tirelessly on the right. He made four tackles and four clearances, though was dribbled past twice. His deliveries kept Athletic’s defence busy all evening.
Malick Thiaw (7.8)
Strong and composed. Thiaw won eight of ten aerial duels and cleared danger whenever it came near. His positioning was excellent, blocking two shots and staying tight to his man.
Sven Botman (7.4)
Calm and reliable. Botman stayed disciplined, making timely interceptions and winning all his aerial duels.
Dan Burn (8.3)
Scored the opener with a powerful header and defended well throughout. He won most of his duels, read play sharply, and showed great concentration both in attack and defence.
Bruno Guimarães (7.1)
Quietly efficient. Bruno completed 94% of his passes and kept control in tight spaces.
Sandro Tonali (7.3)
Worked hard on and off the ball. His long passing and pressing helped Newcastle dominate the middle. Solid, if unspectacular, performance.
Joelinton (8.3)
A complete box-to-box showing. Scored the second goal and won seven defensive duels. His energy and strength made a big difference in both halves.
Harvey Barnes (7.3)
Grabbed an assist and stayed lively down the wing. Tried to create chances with his runs and crosses, though faded slightly late on.
Anthony Gordon (5.6)
Started brightly but was forced off early with an injury after taking a knock.
Nick Woltemade (6.5)
Missed a big chance early but worked hard off the ball. Needs sharper finishing.
Jacob Murphy (6.2): Created two late chances.
Lewis Hall (6.5): defended well when introduced.
Lewis Miley (6.3): kept the midfield steady.
Anthony Elanga (6.2): added pace but couldn’t make his chance count.
Jacob Ramsey came on in the 83rd minute.
Unai Simón (5.6)
A tough night for the Spanish keeper. Conceded twice and looked shaky when dealing with crosses. He faced an xGOT of 0.99 but ended with –1.01 goals prevented, meaning both goals were stoppable. Distribution was poor at 44 percent accuracy, and his long balls rarely found teammates. Not his sharpest outing.
Jesús Areso (6.9)
One of Athletic’s brighter performers. Won seven of ten ground duels, created a chance going forward, and didn’t shy away from tackles. However, he lost his man during the corner that led to Burn’s opener, a costly lapse despite his overall energy.
Dani Vivian (7.1)
Made five clearances and nine recoveries, rarely beaten in one-on-one situations. Tried to keep the backline organized when others lost focus on set pieces.
Aitor Paredes (6.6)
Battled well but struggled in the air, losing both aerial duels. His missed header allowed Joelinton to rise free for Newcastle’s second goal. Defended decently otherwise but that moment proved decisive.
Adama Boiro (7.0)
Lively down the flank and came close to scoring when he struck the post. Solid in his duels and tidy with the ball, one of few players to show intent going forward.
Alejandro Rego (6.7)
Worked hard and showed good defensive awareness with six recoveries. Tried to push play into the final third but often ran out of support.
Mikel Jauregizar (6.1)
Did some defensive work but lacked control in possession. Couldn’t influence the tempo or progress the ball effectively.
Robert Navarro (6.1)
Struggled to find space or impact the attack. His shot was blocked, and he lost the ball in tight areas.
Mikel Vesga (6.4)
Kept things simple in midfield but didn’t impose himself. Played safe passes and offered limited creativity.
Álex Berenguer (6.6)
Active throughout, completing three dribbles and sending in several crosses, though most failed to connect.
Unai Gómez (5.5)
Wasteful in front of goal. Missed a good chance and looked isolated against Newcastle’s centre-backs. His lack of composure summed up Athletic’s night.
Nico Serrano (6.9) came on and immediately tested Pope with four shots on target, energetic and direct, deserving credit for his effort.
Selton Sánchez (5.7) offered little impact after coming in.
Andoni Gorosabel (6.3) added balance defensively.
Asier Hierro (5.9) couldn’t influence play.
Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta (6.1) tried to steady midfield late on but the game was already beyond reach.