Newcastle United were left frustrated once again on the European stage as a familiar opponent resurfaced to haunt them. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang—who had tormented Newcastle during his Arsenal years—returned to deliver another painful reminder, scoring a rapid second-half brace to overturn the Magpies’ early lead and hand Marseille a 2-1 Champions League win.
Eddie Howe had warned that the 36-year-old striker “looked as sharp as ever,” and his prediction proved painfully accurate. For Newcastle, it followed an all-too-familiar pattern: playing well, taking the lead away from home, but collapsing under pressure.
Dan Burn summed it up bluntly, calling it “10 minutes of madness”, while Howe admitted the defeat “leaves us bruised” but insisted the team will “come back stronger.”
Strong Start Wasted as Newcastle Collapse After the Break
Newcastle initially handled the ferocious Stade Vélodrome atmosphere with impressive composure. The noise, flares, and tifo that greeted kickoff didn’t intimidate them. Their early preparation—traveling ahead of schedule and training at the venue—seemed to pay off.
Harvey Barnes continued his excellent form, smashing home an early opener in the sixth minute. For a moment, Newcastle looked in control.
But Marseille steadily grew into the game. Aubameyang wasted several first-half chances, but Newcastle failed to learn the warning signs.
“We didn’t take advantage of our good moments,” Howe admitted afterward.
The second half began disastrously. A sloppy restart and a series of lost duels allowed Marseille to break quickly, with Timothy Weah finding 17-year-old Darryl Bakola, who slipped an excellent pass behind the defence. Aubameyang pounced as Nick Pope rushed out and finished brilliantly from a tight angle.
Howe backed his keeper despite the error, saying Pope “made big saves against Manchester City just days ago,” but the damage was already done.
Marseille’s second goal—just four minutes later—was equally alarming. Weah beat Tino Livramento before crossing for Aubameyang, who moved ahead of Fabian Schär to convert at the near post. From that moment on, Newcastle never truly threatened an equaliser.
Away-Game Woes Continue With Another Missed Opportunity
Newcastle’s excellent home form stands in complete contrast to their struggles on the road. They have won their past six matches at St James’ Park, yet have just one away win in seven months—a 4-0 victory at Union St. Gilloise in October.
Burn admitted the team are frustrated:
“We put everything in and came away with nothing. It’s disappointing.”
Newcastle now sit eighth in the Champions League standings and face another tough away test at Everton on Saturday. Howe insists his players remain resilient:
“This one hurts, but the lads are tough, experienced, and ready to fight back.”
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