3 Positives and 3 Negatives to take from Marseille 2 Newcastle 1 | OneFootball

It ended Marseille 2 Newcastle 1.

Ahead of each game we ask one of our writers to come up with three positives and three negatives following the match.

An interesting Champions League game in the south of France…

Plenty to talk about after this one.

On this occasion it is David Punton:

POSITIVES

The form of Harvey Barnes

The result was hard to bear but there was some comfort in seeing Barnes maintain his run of goal scoring form.

The lad just has bags of goals in him and he gave us a deserved lead, building on his match-winning brace against Manchester City.

Keep it up Harvey!

Compartmentalise

It sounds daft, but if you take away the ten minutes of madness in that second half, we didn’t do all that badly in the game.

We did have some chances.

On another night we might have came away with something.

Let’s not get too down, we did see off Man City at the weekend.

Hard place to go

In my humble opinion Marseille is a tough away game.

It’s a colossal venue, a big crowd, and one of the biggest clubs in France – former winners of the European Cup no less.

Their manager, formerly of Brighton, has always seemed to have Eddie Howe’s number too.

There is no shame in losing away at Marseille and it was a narrow loss at the end of the day.

NEGATIVES

On the manager

As fans we’re entitled to disagree with the manager’s selections.

I was left wondering, Bobby Robson would have gone unchanged for this game. He’d have selected the same side that did Man City.

I get the point about managing load but this game was a chance to almost secure a place in the next round of the UEFA Champions League.

Surely at Marseille you have to play Woltemade up front?

Surely Joelinton needed to start?

Surely if there was going to be a change in midfield it had to be Ramsey over Willock?

Are we back to Dan Burn at left back?

How can Elanga hope to find any form unless a chance is taken on a start?

Lots of questions. The manager will have his reasons.

I respectfully didn’t agree with the line up he chose.

We had to go unchanged.

Serious conversations

Just what on earth is going on with Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga?

They desperately need to find some form.

Gordon seems to be a perennial struggler, bar some joy he had in earlier CL matches.

His form in the Premier League has been poor.

Elanga, the new boy, cannot seem to get going. No goals and no assists as things stand.

Serious conversations are needed.

These are really expensive players. They have got to do better, much better.

It’s massive frustration, especially when you throw in the absence of Yoane Wissa.

Keeper conundrum

Nick Pope saved us against Man City but he cost us here in Marseille.

It was a high profile error that blew the game up. He’s human and he’ll be feeling it.

He’s been a great servant to the cause and is a senior player but there is a question mark.

This can’t keep happening. What if he does this against the mackems?

The manager, of course, has to back him, but, why not take him out of the firing line and give Ramsdale a chance?

POSITIVES

Marseille 2 Newcastle 1 – Tuesday 25 November 2025 8pm

Match Stats

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Barnes 6

Marseille:

Aubameyang 46, 50

Possession was Newcastle 43% Marseille 57%

Total shots were Newcastle 20 Marseille 18

Shots on target were Newcastle 9 Marseille 7

Corners were Newcastle 5 Marseille 11

Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 31 Marseille 26

Newcastle team v Marseille:

Pope, Livramento (Hall 60), Thiaw, Schar (Elanga 61), Burn, Willock (Ramsey 72), Bruno, Tonali, Barnes, Gordon (Woltemade 72), Murphy (Miley 60)