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Key occasions
45 min: Burn makes an attempt to quarterback a raking cross in the direction of Elanga, solely to blast the ball straight into the closest yellow shirt. All of a sudden the hosts are on the counter, and when a cross is available in from the proper, Ait El Hadj comes very near steering a riser into the top-right nook. Inches extensive. What a present that will have been.
GOAL! USG 0-2 Newcastle (Gordon 43 pen)
Gordon takes a deep breath earlier than powering the penalty into the bottom-right nook, and this scoreline doesn’t flatter Newcastle in any respect.
Penalty for Newcastle!
42 min: Elanga dribbles in from the proper and enters the field. He takes a heavy contact and stretches for it. As he does so, the lumbering Leysen hangs out a leg as properly, and catches his man. The referee factors straight to the spot. Gordon will take the penalty.
40 min: Gordon and Joelinton attempt to open USG up down the left with a close-quarters one-two. It practically comes off.
39 min: Van De Perre follows Joelinton into the e-book for a forceful slide into Tonali. Half ball, half man. Perhaps he’d get away with it within the Premier League.
37 min: Gordon and Woltemade take turns to showcase silky dribbling abilities, worming their means out of a packed centre circle. The ball’s shifted proper to Elanga, who crosses low. Gordon, who had saved going, can’t fairly get on the tip of it to sidefoot dwelling from six yards. Burgess slides in to shepherd the ball again to his keeper. The ball hits Burgess’s supporting arm because the defender sprawls on the ground, and Gordon makes the declare, nevertheless it’s by no means a penalty, and because the keeper gathers, all of us transfer on. That will have been a stunning purpose had it come off.
35 min: Joelinton is booked for high-kicking Khalaili on the knee. He can don’t have any complaints. However he does make some. The referee fairly rightly not . That was late and clumsy, if not an aggressive act.
33 min: Elanga drives down the proper, busy as ever, forward of Leysen as regular. He pulls again however can’t fairly discover the brand new Toon purpose machine Woltemade. Three objectives already for his new membership!
Uefa award purpose to Woltemade
31 min: The Newcastle purpose is Woltemade’s! Replays present he certainly did back-flick the ball into the underside proper, whereas standing in entrance of Tonali. A beautiful end, and one he didn’t make an enormous factor about on the time together with his celebration. Maybe not eager to steal Tonali’s thunder. What an absolute gentleman.
29 min: Tripper scampers after an extended cross down the proper. He cuts again from the byline for Joelinton, who makes an attempt to steer a header again throughout the keeper and into the underside proper. His effort bounces inches extensive. Scherpen’s ft had been planted there. He was crushed.
27 min: Zorgane is popping up all around the store now. He practically releases Ait El Hadj down the proper, dropping into the centre circle and sending a forensic diagonal cross in the direction of his team-mate, however Botman reads it properly to intercept. That was an important intervention.
25 min: Rodriguez twists and turns down the proper, inflicting Botman all types. He wins a nook, from which that man Zorgane shoots once more. This effort bounces by the group in the direction of the underside proper, and Pope wants to show it across the submit. Nothing comes of the second nook, however that is significantly better from the hosts, who’ve lastly turned as much as their very own social gathering.
23 min: Niang has some area down the left and his low curling cross is deflected out for a nook. Zorgane sends the set piece lengthy, taking the Newcastle defence unexpectedly – just about everyone seems to be on the close to submit – and it deflects out for an additional nook. This one is available in from the proper, and Zorgane now shoots by a crowded field from the sting of the D. Straight at Pope. He caught that properly sufficient; wherever aside from straight on the keeper might have turned out problematic for the Toon.
21 min: Elanga crosses dangerously once more from the proper. Gordon flicks extensive proper whereas arriving at excessive velocity. Newcastle sense blood.
19 min: Newcastle have been rewarded for his or her vivid begin. Mac Allister’s intervention performed an enormous half in that purpose, and Woltemade was by his aspect – initially it was advised the striker acquired a flick – however Tonali’s preliminary shot was on track, so it’s his purpose.
GOAL! USG 0-1 Newcastle (Tonali 17)
Elanga crosses low from the proper. Mac Allister heads clear, however solely to Tonali, simply to the proper of the D. The ball drops to Tonali, who shoots in the direction of the underside left. Mac Allister stands out a leg and diverts into the underside proper, the keeper having gone the opposite means. It had been coming!
16 min: Nothing comes of the second nook of the sequence, however Newcastle are pinning USG again. They arrive once more by Elanga down the proper, and …
15 min: Burn sends an extended throw in from the left. In making an attempt to kick clear, Leysen slices hysterically behind for a nook. Tonali whips to the close to stick. Woltemade makes his six-and-a-half-feet presence felt. One other nook arising.
13 min: The ensuing free kick results in a nook, which ends up in Tonali swinging in from the proper, Scherpen as soon as once more electing to punch clear, and Joelinton flaying a wild shot over the bar. The USG keeper’s MO already clear. He likes throwing a haymaker!
12 min: Woltemade prepares to carry the ball up, just for Burgess, previously of Portsmouth and the oldest Englishman to make his debut within the Champions League since Arsenal’s Steve Bould within the late 90s, to slip by the again of him. The USG captain barely lucky to not choose up a warning.
10 min: Newcastle are slowly taking management of the match in midfield. No nice shock, with USG completely happy to take a seat deep with 5 on the again.
8 min: Tonali, Elanga and Guimaraes paint a first-time zig-zag down the center and into the USG field. Some crisp close-range passing. The ball ultimately balloons into the air, and USG goalie Scherpen opts to punch clear quite than catch. An eccentric alternative, as he’s not underneath an excessive amount of strain, however he will get loads on it to clear his traces, and there may be multiple method to pores and skin a cat.
6 min: USG launch it lengthy down the proper. Botman makes an attempt to hook again upfield, however solely succeeds in kicking the ball into his personal face and out for a nook. The set piece is available in from the proper. Leysen, within the centre heads it again to the close to submit, from the place Rodriguez eyebrows over the bar. That was a good likelihood, and Newacstle had been lucky the USG striker didn’t get that on track. Had he executed so, Pope was most probably choosing the ball out of the online.
4 min: Tonali and Elanga mix properly down the inside-right channel. The latter works himself just a little area to shoot … however not sufficient so his eventual effort doesn’t get blocked the second it leaves his boot.
2 min: Khalaili prepares to advance down the proper solely to be clipped to the ground by Joelinton. An early likelihood for the hosts to load the field and ship one thing in. Ait El Hadj delivers, however to no one specifically. Newcastle clear their traces.
A pleasant handshake between the coaches Eddie Howe and Sebastien Pocognoli … after which Newcastle get the ball rolling. The ambiance intense as USG make their full Champions League dwelling debut.
The groups are out! USG of their yellow shirts with blue trim, Newcastle in these well-known black and white stripes. We’ll be off in a few minutes.
Eddie Howe talks to TNT Sports activities. “The consequence is essential for us tonight … the efficiency as properly … we’re actually excited in regards to the recreation … we have now to again our attacking gamers … we hope our workforce clicks … we have now a degree to show tonight … we’ve set our plan out for tonight … we have now to do it when the strain is on.”
Some pre-match studying. Courtesy of Louise Taylor in Brussels.
Newcastle make two adjustments to the beginning XI despatched out to face Arsenal within the 2-1 Premier League defeat at St James’ Park final Sunday. Kieran Trippier and Anthony Elanga exchange Tino Livramento and Jacob Murphy. The latter drops to the bench, however Livramento could possibly be out for six to eight weeks after struggling a knee harm in opposition to the Gunners.
The groups
Union Saint-Gilloise: Scherpen, Mac Allister, Burgess, Leysen, Khalaili, Zorgane, Van De Perre, Niang, Ait El Hadj, Rodriguez, David.
Subs: Chambaere, Berradi, Patris, Sykes, Boufal, Giger, Schoofs, Smith, Rasmussen, Barry.
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon.
Subs: Thompson, Ramsdale, Corridor, Schar, Barnes, Krafth, Osula, Jacob Murphy, Willock, Alex Murphy, Miley.
Referee: Urs Schnyder (Switzerland).
Preamble
Union Saint-Gilloise have solely hosted English opposition as soon as earlier than. And should you’re a Newcastle fan counting on historic precedent to do you a favour this night, you’re out of luck: USG beat Liverpool 2-1 within the Europa League teams in December 2023. To be honest to Jurgen Klopp’s aspect, it was a useless rubber during which they fielded a number of of the children, however a win’s a win. So there may be that to cope with.
However how a lot ought to that historical past, tangential at finest, weigh on Eddie Howe and his workforce’s thoughts? Not a lot, you’d need to say, particularly because the Toon are unbeaten in eight matches in opposition to Belgian groups, successful seven and drawing the opposite. They’ll be extra involved about their very own patchy type within the Premier League to this point this season, and the very fact USG impressively swatted apart PSV 3-1 in Eindhoven a few weeks in the past, and that the Belgians – reigning champions of their homeland for the primary time since 1935 – are unbeaten in seven group-stage matches in Uefa competitors. Newcastle in contrast have misplaced 4 and drawn one in all their final 5 Champions League video games. Can they rediscover their mojo tonight in Brussels? We start to seek out out at 5.45pm UK time. It’s on!