Newcastle secured a third successive Champions League win as Dan Burn’s thunderous header inspired a cathartic 2-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Burn struck in eye-catching style in the first half at St James’ Park and Joelinton netted after the interval to wrap up Newcastle’s fifth successive home win in all competitions. Newcastle’s dismal 3-1 defeat at lowly West Ham on Sunday left the Magpies languishing in 13th place in the Premier League and prompted a painful bout of soul-searching on Tyneside.
But although they have struggled domestically, Eddie Howe’s side have three wins from four games in the Champions League this season, with their only loss coming in the opening match against Barcelona.
Ahead of trips to Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen in their next two league phase fixtures, sixth-placed Newcastle are firmly in the hunt to secure the top-eight place that guarantees automatic qualification for the last 16.
Howe will hope Newcastle’s European success serves as a springboard for a winning run in the Premier League, starting at Brentford on Sunday.
“Really pleased with today. It was an important response to West Ham. I don’t think it was us at our best but we’re in a good position now in this competition,” Howe said.
“It’s been good to have a game off the back of West Ham. We’ve put that away now. But it’s a bigger test when you return to the Premier League.”
Saluting Burn’s goal, Howe said it reminded him of the defender’s header in last season’s League Cup final win against Liverpool.
“It was very reminiscent of the cup final. It was from distance. It was a training ground move so well done to all the coaches involved in that,” he said.
“Across the board, it’s about consistency in our performance wherever we play. Now we go away in the Champions League. Marseille will be incredibly difficult.”
Newcastle’s lacklustre loss at West Ham had sparked accusations that Howe’s team are developing a habit of playing down to the level of their opponents.
Burn makes his point
Burn added to that perception this week when he said “everybody knows we will turn up” against Bilbao.
The England centre-back was true to his word as he put Newcastle ahead in the 11th minute.
Kieran Trippier’s free-kick picked out Burn in space in the penalty area and he punished Bilbao’s slack marking with a superb header that curled into the far corner from 10 yards.
Even legendary Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, watching with a broad grin in the stands, would have been proud of such a sublime finish.
Bilbao briefly mounted a determined response to that blow and twice came close to drawing level as sloppy Newcastle conceded possession too easily.
Unai Gomez raced clear of the flat-footed Newcastle defence and fired against the near post.
With Newcastle on the ropes, Adama Boiro lashed a ferocious strike off the woodwork from 18 yards.
Howe’s men squandered a chance to increase their lead when Nick Woltemade climbed highest for a header that whistled wide from Harvey Barnes’ cross.
Newcastle suffered a blow when England winger Anthony Gordon limped off with a recurrence of a hip injury late in the first half.
But they ignored that setback to double their advantage in the 49th minute.
Barnes cleverly worked space on the left side of the Bilbao area and lofted a cross into the six-yard box, where Joelinton thumped his header past Unai Simon for his first goal in nine games.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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