Marseille produced a stirring response at Stade Velodrome as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck twice in rapid succession to sink Newcastle United in Europe. The experienced forward, now 36, delivered a ruthless second-half display that completely altered the contest after the visitors had taken the initiative.
Harvey Barnes had set Newcastle on course for an ideal opening, finishing sharply inside six minutes following a flowing attack. Moments earlier, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg had executed a vital headed clearance on the line to prevent Malick Thiaw from nodding in. Yet despite the bright start, the away side gradually lost control as Roberto de Zerbi’s team asserted themselves.
Aubameyang had several looks at goal before the interval but could not find the required touch. That changed after the restart, when he rediscovered his instinctive edge and immediately troubled a hesitant Newcastle back line. His movement, pace, and composure proved decisive on a night when Marseille created sustained pressure after weathering the early storm.
Aubameyang’s rapid brace changes the complexion
The home crowd had barely settled for the second half when 17-year-old Darryl Bakola threaded a perfectly weighted pass into the right channel. Sensing danger, Nick Pope sprinted out but failed to impose himself, leaving Aubameyang free to guide a composed finish from a demanding angle.
Just minutes afterward, Timothy Weah surged down the flank, outmaneuvering Tino Livramento before driving a low cross toward the near post. Aubameyang reacted quicker than Fabian Schär, hooking the delivery beyond Pope to send the stadium into raptures. De Zerbi’s jubilant sprint along the technical area reflected the significance of the quick double.
Those strikes elevated Marseille to their second Champions League triumph of the campaign and lifted them to nineteenth in the competition standings. Newcastle, meanwhile, were left frustrated once more after another promising start was undone away from home.
Newcastle’s travel woes deepen despite early momentum
Eddie Howe’s side have repeatedly struggled to maintain advantages outside St. James’ Park, and this setback followed the same pattern. They had also gone ahead in recent trips to Brentford and West Ham, only to suffer defeats, underscoring a persistent issue in matches away from Tyneside.
The Premier League victory over Manchester City had offered encouragement, but Newcastle failed to build on that confidence. Their first-half lead owed something to Marseille’s wastefulness, yet their inability to increase the tempo after the interval opened the door for the hosts’ revival. The sloppy restart, combined with Pope’s misjudgment, proved especially costly.
Anthony Gordon reacted in disbelief as Aubameyang leveled, and the sense of disappointment deepened when the forward struck again moments later. Howe made several substitutions — introducing Lewis Hall, Lewis Miley, Anthony Elanga, and club-record arrival Nick Woltemade — but the visitors rarely looked like salvaging a point in the closing stages.
Newcastle’s lone away victory in seven months came in a 4-0 success at Union Saint-Gilloise, highlighting the scale of their ongoing difficulties on foreign turf. This loss, after such a promising opening, will be remembered as another missed chance.
