Newcastle secure first Champions League win of the season with 4-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise
Anthony Gordon scored twice from the spot as Newcastle United cruised to their first Champions League win of the campaign, sweeping aside Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 in Brussels.
Eddie Howe’s side were reeling after a dramatic late defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, but they responded in emphatic fashion, recording their first away success in the competition since 2003.
The visitors made a lively start at Lotto Park and took the lead after 17 minutes. Anthony Elanga’s cross caused problems for the Union defence, with the ball breaking to Sandro Tonali on the edge of the area. His volley deflected off Nick Woltemade and wrong-footed goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen, with UEFA crediting the German striker for the goal.
Union showed fight, forcing Nick Pope into a sharp save from Adem Zorgane midway through the half. But Newcastle doubled their advantage just before the break, Gordon calmly dispatching a penalty after Elanga was tripped by Fedde Leysen.
The Belgian champions kept pressing after the restart, with Anan Khalaili shooting wide and Pope twice denying efforts from Ousseynou Niang and Zorgane. Their resistance crumbled, however, when another VAR check punished Leysen for handball. Gordon stepped up again and confidently tucked away his second penalty of the night.
Harvey Barnes rounded off the scoring late on with a composed finish inside the area, sealing a commanding win that gets Newcastle’s European campaign properly underway after their opening defeat to Barcelona.
This was the Magpies’ first competitive away win in Europe since 2013, when Shola Ameobi’s penalty beat Metalist Kharkiv, and their first Champions League away success since Ameobi’s brace at Bayer Leverkusen two decades ago.
Player Ratings
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Nick Pope – 7: Produced a vital stop from Zorgane in the first half and stayed alert with several saves from distance after the break.
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Kieran Trippier – 6: Delivered one dangerous cross to Joelinton and looked assured at right-back.
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Malick Thiaw – 8: Excellent at the back, handling Union’s forwards with composure and authority.
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Sven Botman – 7: A little shaky in the air at times but generally solid, covering well when needed.
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Dan Burn – 6: Steady at left-back, offered support going forward, though caught out once early in the second half.
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Sandro Tonali – 8: His deflected strike put Newcastle ahead. Energetic, creative, and nearly added another late on.
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Bruno Guimarães – 7: Worked hard in midfield, breaking up play and showing glimpses of class.
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Joelinton – 6: Headed one chance wide and struggled to impose himself before being withdrawn. Booked.
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Anthony Elanga – 6: Involved in both the opener and the first penalty but inconsistent with his final ball.
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Anthony Gordon – 9: The standout performer. Scored twice from the spot, grew in confidence, and played a part in the fourth goal.
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Nick Woltemade – 8: Initially quiet but improved as the game went on, registering his third goal in four starts and linking play intelligently.
Substitutes
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Lewis Miley (on for Joelinton, 59) – Neat and composed as Newcastle closed out the game.
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Lewis Hall – 6 (on for Guimarães, 73) – Showed promise down the left flank.
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Harvey Barnes – 7 (on for Elanga, 73) – Marked his appearance with a well-taken fourth goal.
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Sub on for Woltemade, 73 – Set up Barnes for the fourth.
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Sub on for Trippier, 83 – Late cameo.
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