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dan burns crafted a header of brutal beauty newcastle 2-0 became easier Champions League victory over athletic bilbao A night when he urged the Magpies to remember how to win the ugly.
The 33-year-old defender scored an unstoppable effort in the 11th minute, with Joelinton scoring his second try after the break to seal victory against the injury-ravaged Spaniards and significantly improve their qualification hopes by scoring a third consecutive try in the competition.
This was just the reaction head coach eddie howe Was looking for after Sunday’s disappointing 3-1 Premier League Defeat at West Ham and, while the game was tight for long periods, the Magpies were ultimately worthy winners.
After a poor start to the game, during which both sides gave up possession at regular intervals, the LaLiga outfit held on to possession.
In fact, it was they who created the first chance of the game when Yunai Gomez headed in Alex Berenguer’s corner unopposed but directed his header straight at goalkeeper Nick Pope.
The Magpies thought they had taken the lead in the ninth minute when Joelinton headed on to Malik Thiaw’s ball, turned defender Dani Vivian and fired past keeper Unai Simon, only for a strict offside decision to go against him.
However, they went ahead two minutes later when an unmarked Byrne responded to Kieran Trippier’s free-kick with a powerful header which hit the far post.
Bilbao continued to move the ball forward quickly, with Berenguer working prominently down the left to keep Trippers and Thiaw on their toes and Pope had to keep out Gomez’s shot with his foot in the 18th minute after Alejandro Rego made the most of it. newcastleThere is a slope in the middle of the field.
However, the keeper needed the help of his right post a few seconds later when, after a Berenguer corner reached Adama Boiro on the edge of the box, he fired a left-footed shot against the upright.
The home side struggled to play in the face of the visitors’ well-coordinated press, but they came close once again with 16 minutes of the first half remaining when Harvey Barnes crossed for Nick Woltemade, who fired his header wide of the far post.
As the half-time wore on, Hove’s men became more comfortable and more fluent defensively and after Joelinton ran onto Byrne’s 42nd-minute ball over the top, Simon was denied and they went into the break with just a one-goal advantage.
However, Brazil made amends within four minutes of the restart when he headed Barnes’ cross past Simon at his near post after the wide-man’s initial shot was blocked.
The Bilbao goalkeeper gratefully cleared Sven Botman’s header out of the air after Byrne had diverted a Trippier corner on goal and was relieved to see the England defender fire across goal after running onto a Guimaraes pass.
Any concerns were allayed as the hosts regained complete control and, although Pope had to make two good saves from substitute Nico Serrano to maintain their clean sheet, they spent the time in relative comfort despite a late flurry.