Newcastle United 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 | OneFootball

The German international - who joined from Stuttgart for a club record fee in August - became the 15th player to score on their Magpies bow, nodding in Jacob Murphy's cross after 30 minutes to open his account for his new club.

Vítor Pereira's side had carried a threat but the hosts created the better chances, with Jacob Murphy, who also had a goal disallowed, and Sandro Tonali going close to adding to the lead.

But in the end Woltemade's contribution proved decisive - and set Eddie Howe's men up perfectly for their eagerly-anticipated Champions League clash with Barcelona on Thursday night.

Wolves started brilliantly, threatening inside ten seconds. Nick Pope had to make two vital stops very early on; the first was from Rodrigo Gomes, who latched onto a long ball and thrashed a shot at goal which United's number one did well to tip around the post. From the resulting corner, Hwang Hee-chan volleyed well, forcing Pope to again turn wide.

It was an open, entertaining start and the hosts played their part too, with Woltemade's neat footwork and touch marking his first few touches in black and white. One neat lay-off led to a sight of goal for Murphy five minutes in, but his curling strike was just off target.

The winger had an even clearer opening soon after Rodrigo Gomes - one of three players in the visitors' line-up with the same surname - had pulled an effort wide after dancing into the penalty area. Tino Livramento, typically dynamic at left back, hurled a long throw into the Wolves box which fell for Murphy, who must have thought he'd scored when he connected firmly with it. Somehow, though, Sam Johnstone blocked it from close range.

Wolves were winless and bottom of the Premier League but their early forays forward gave them some encouragement - it took a timely Fabian Schär sliding challenge to prevent Tolu Arokodare from tapping in Hee-chan's cutback at the far post.

But as the half went on, Howe's men began to click into gear. On the half hour the headline moment arrived. Murphy's hanging cross from the right was perfect for the towering Woltemade, who powered home his header to the delight of the United faithful.

A frantic end to the half saw Rodrigo Gomes flash a header of his own past the upright, before Murphy fired wide from 25 yards. Woltemade was involved in the build-up to Murphy's disallowed goal shortly after, lifting a pass over the Wolves backline for Harvey Barnes, whose centre was calmly dispatched. A delayed offside flag halted the celebrations, though, with Barnes having strayed beyond the last man ahead of Woltemade's pass.

And in stoppage time, Tonali struck the inside of the post with a raking drive from the edge of the box which had Johnstone beaten before it ricocheted away. It would have been a deserved goal for the Italian, elegant and immense again at the base of Newcastle's midfield, and he had a hand in a slick move that almost produced a chance for Barnes and then Woltemade, who were crowded out in the box six minutes after the break.

The second half didn't flow quite as freely as the first 45 had, though 1-0 still felt like a precarious lead despite Wolves' lack of sharpness in the final third. Howe sought to make the scoreline more comfortable by sending Will Osula on in Woltemade's place, and introducing Joe Willock for Joelinton, who had returned to the 11 after missing last month's goalless draw at Leeds.

A lovely exchange between captain Bruno Guimarães and Barnes led to the latter whipping a shot over the bar after cutting inside from the left, but another goal wasn't forthcoming. Pereira's charges made a fist of it in the final quarter - with substitute midfielder Marshall Munetsi deployed as an auxiliary striker - but couldn't muster a leveller, meaning Woltemade's goal was all it took for the Magpies to take their first three points of the campaign.