Union Saint-Gilloise 0-4 Newcastle United: Champions League - as it happened
Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureNo post-match interviews, with the television stations haring off to other matches. But never mind that anyway, because Louise Taylor’s match report is in. And here it is! Thanks for reading this MBM.ShareThat was a seriously impressive performance by Newcastle United. Nick Woltemade opened the scoring with a flick so cute Uefa couldn’t confirm he’d scored it for ten minutes; the Toon Army historically love a striker, and the big man’s already won them over. Anthony Elanga was another seriously impressive new-boy. But man of the match was surely Anthony Gordon, who converted two penalties and was the relentless beating heart of most of what Newcastle did well. And they did a lot very well. A good evening at the office for Eddie Howe’s side, who get their Champions League totaliser turning, and put on a confident show that should get their Premier League campaign back on track sooner rather than later. Nottingham Forest next in the league, Benfica next in the European Cup, both at home. The season starts here!ShareFULL TIME: Union Saint-Gilloise 0-4 Newcastle UnitedNewcastle put their first three Champions League points up on the board … and in some style! It’s their biggest-ever victory in the tournament proper.ShareUpdated at 14.58 EDT90 min +3: Boufal has the opportunity for another whack from long range, but holds onto the ball too long and is eventually dispossessed.Share90 min +2: Patris crosses from the right. Giger tries to back-flick home from ten yards, but no Woltemade he. Pope gathers without fuss.Share90 min +1: The first minute of four added passes by without incident. “Gotta admit that Gordon has been central to most of the best things we’ve done tonight,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “I give him flak for his disciplinary record but he’s consistently good for us in Europe. Sometimes I think he’s better suited to the different pace of the continental game, than the EPL? He loves checking back in, dropping into deeper pockets of space and working over defenders. Also seems to be an excellent tactical thinker (when he’s not getting sent off).”Share90 min: Hall one-twos with Barnes down the left. He cuts back for Tonali, whose first-time flipper-whip would sail into the top-left corner were it not for Scherpen’s reaction save. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.Share88 min: USG’s search for that consolation looks futile. Newcastle pass it around the back as the clock runs down.Share86 min: USG probe in the hope of a consolation. Niang makes good down the left but his eventual cross flies over everyone’s head.Share84 min: That’s Trippier’s last act of the evening. He’s replaced by Schar. When the game restarts, Gordon goes on an electric run down the left and crosses, but there’s nobody there to tap home. Gordon has been excellent tonight.Share83 min: A simple long pass down the right nearly undoes Newcastle. Patris races after it and bundles a bouncing ball across the face of goal. Nobody in black and white reacts, until Trippier finally turns up and pings behind for a corner, before anyone in yellow can catch up. Nothing comes of the set piece.ShareGOAL! USG 0-4 Newcastle (Barnes 81)… Gordon robs Boufal on the edge of the box. He sets his side off on the counter. Osula powers down the middle before rolling an exquisitely weighted ball down the inside-left channel for Barnes, who opens his body and flicks over Scherpen into the bottom left. What a glorious counter-attack!ShareUpdated at 14.37 EDT80 min: Boufal finds himself in a large pocket of space, centrally, 25 yards out. He creams a shot towards the bottom-left corner, but Pope tips around the post with strong hands. And from the corner …Share79 min: Nothing comes of the corner.Share78 min: Barnes jinks in from the right and offloads to Gordon, who finds him with a cute return down the channel. Barnes enters the box and wins a corner, but before it can be taken, Patris comes on for Khalaili.Share76 min: Gordon slips Hall into space down the left. Hall’s got Barnes in acres on the edge of the box, coming in from the right, but doesn’t spot him. He tries to return the ball to Gordon on the overlap and the move is rendered jiggered.Share74 min: Boufal, formerly of Southampton, comes on for Rodriguez.Share73 min: A triple sub by Newcastle. Woltemade, Elanga and Guimarães are replaced by Barnes, Hall and Osula. Woltemade has clearly announced himself as the Toon Army’s new hero, but Elanga impressed tonight as well. He’s in too, you’d think.Share72 min: Now it’s Newcastle’s turn to stroke it around patiently. But the clock is their friend.Share70 min: … and so having said that, Ait El Hadj advances down the inside-left channel and nearly whistles a curler into the top-right corner. Just over, and Pope probably had it covered. But still. It’s something.Share69 min: USG ping it around the back comfortably enough, but then they’re three goals down, and Newcastle are quite happy to let them do it. They’re going nowhere.Share67 min: USG make a double change. Rasmussen and Skyes come on for Mac Allister and Van De Perre. Not a great week in the Champions League for the Mac Allister clan. Skyes, formerly of Accrington Stanley and Southport, grew up as a Newcastle supporter.Share66 min: Newcastle have been excellent tonight. The scoreline genuinely doesn’t flatter them. This is the sort of performance that will kick-start their season. “While my natural inclination as a Stuttgart fan is to cheer anything that makes Bayern Munich unhappy, I can’t help but feel sad,” writes Kári Tulinius. “The last couple of seasons have been the best the Boys from Cannstatt have had in over a decade. First we lost Guirassy, and then Woltemade. Newcastle have an absolute gem, damn them.”ShareGOAL! USG 0-3 Newcastle (Gordon 64 pen)Gordon goes the same way, to the right. Scherpen guesses correctly, but Gordon has tucked it away into the bottom corner. What a dispatch! What a cross that earned the spot kick, as well.ShareUpdated at 14.13 EDTPenalty for Newcastle!63 min: Gordon’s cross reared up and hit Leysen on the arm as the defender was grappling with Woltemade, so the referee points to the spot.Share62 min: Gordon crosses long from the left. Leysen hooks clear, but Woltemade claims a penalty. Play goes on, but eventually the referee stops it, and goes over to the monitor. A decision to be made here.Share60 min: USG are racking up the bookings. Giger becomes yellow card number four for the hosts, as he slides into Tonali late.Share59 min: Joelinton, who has taken a couple of knocks tonight, but hopefully nothing serious, is replaced by Miley. He doesn’t look in too much discomfort as he walks off.Share58 min: Tonali swings it to the far stick, and that’s the easiest of claims for Scherpen in the USG goal. Not sure if that was intended as a cross or shot towards the top-right corner.Share57 min: Mac Allister is booked for cynically skittling Gordon out on the left. A free kick in a dangerous area. Tonali to take.Share56 min: Khalaili spins Burn with ease down the right. He’s eventually crowded off the ball, but USG are clearly targeting Burn here. Khalaili has seen a lot of the ball since the restart.Share54 min: … and indeed he is. When the game restarts, Zorgane tries to find Khalaili down the right, but overcooks the pass, and Burn can shepherd the ball out for a goal kick.Share53 min: Guimarães is back up. He’d taken a whack on the foot in a 50-50 with Van De Perre. Looks like he’ll be fine to continue.Share52 min: Guimaraes is down and requires some treatment. On comes the physio.ShareUpdated at 14.09 EDT51 min: Burgess is booked for cynically taking down an in-flight Elanga from behind.Share50 min: … and they’re getting close again. Niang dribbles into the Toon box from the left and lashes a firm shot that pings off Pope’s chest. Then Zorgane has another of his long-distance digs. Pope behind this one too.Share48 min: A long pass down the inside-right channel releases Khalaili, who chests down to get ahead of Burn. He flips a shot across Pope and inches wide of the left-hand post. Newcastle have clearly been told to get the match-clinching third, but there’s a reminder that one for USG would put a very different spin on events.Share47 min: Woltemade is a force of nature. He eases Burgess out of the way on the edge of the USG D, and rolls a pass wide for Elanga, who doesn’t bother shooting because the whistle’s gone. A really soft free kick for Woltemade’s shove on Burgess, who went down easily.Share46 min: Newcastle nearly make it three within 57 seconds of the restart. Woltemade sashays his way into space and flicks Elanga free down the right. Elanga enters the box and lashes a low drive that’s well parried by Scherpen.ShareUSG get the second half underway. They’ve swapped out David for Giger.ShareHalf-time postbag. “I think Eddie Howe has already won the most important European trophy this season: Pissing Off Bayern Munich. The fact that German football’s oldest bastion of morality is in such a twist over the Woltemade signing is absolutely delicious. I really hope he bags a hat-trick tonight because Karl-Heinz Rummenigge might actually spontaneously combust” – Chris Paraskevas“Clearly Joelinton forgot he isn’t playing in the Premier League. He was holding up his index finger as if to say: ‘Hang on, back in England I’m allowed at least one studs-up, shin-raking challenge before I even get a talking-to’ ” – John Cashman“Breaking News: Bayern Munich board call crisis meeting regarding Uefa’s decision on Woltemade goal. Press release imminent” – Chris Paraskevas“Major half-time talking point beginning with V, but not VAR. Good to see an old-fashioned Vic [Chambaere] on the USG bench; it seems to have gone out of the English game. Where are the Buckinghams and Haloms of yesteryear? Maybe, like long throws, Vics are due a come back” – Richard Hirst (who left off his list perhaps the greatest Vic of them all, Guthrie, Melchester Rovers’ badboy defender from the early 80s. For shame, Hirst, for shame)ShareHalf-time advertising break. Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!ShareHALF TIME: Union Saint-Gilloise 0-2 Newcastle UnitedIt’s been easy for Newcastle so far, who have a new striker to worship in Nick Woltemade. Anthony Elanga, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon haven’t been half bad either.Share45 min: Burn attempts to quarterback a raking pass towards Elanga, only to blast the ball straight into the nearest yellow shirt. Suddenly the hosts are on the counter, and when a cross comes in from the right, Ait El Hadj comes very close to steering a riser into the top-right corner. Inches wide. What a gift that would have been.Share
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