Aubameyang’s quickfire double seals Marseille win and extends Newcastle’s away form woes | OneFootball

Marseille came from behind to defeat Newcastle United at the Stade Velodrome as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang delivered a decisive second-half performance that transformed the match and reignited their Champions League campaign.

Newcastle had started strongly and looked comfortable after Harvey Barnes struck early, but their control eroded as Marseille grew into the game and exposed recurring issues in Eddie Howe’s side away from home.

Barnes opened the scoring after Sandro Tonali broke forward and released Anthony Gordon, whose cutback allowed the winger to fire past Geronimo Rulli from close range.

The goal continued Barnes’s excellent form and briefly silenced a home crowd that had generated a feverish atmosphere before kick-off.

Newcastle pressed high in the opening exchanges and forced Marseille backwards, but they could not maintain that tempo as the hosts settled and began using the ball with greater authority.

Marseille created chances through quick combinations on the flanks, with Mason Greenwood repeatedly linking with Aubameyang to stretch Newcastle’s back line.

Aubameyang threatened before the break with an improvised swivel and chest control that forced Nick Pope into a smart save, signalling the danger that would fully materialise later.

Newcastle still posed a threat on the counter and Gordon surged clear to test Rulli again, but Marseille ended the first half in control of possession and momentum.

The match turned dramatically within seconds of the restart when 17-year-old Darryl Bakola slid a pass behind Newcastle’s defence and Pope rushed out unsuccessfully.

Aubameyang rounded the goalkeeper and finished from a tight angle to level the score, showing the sharpness that Howe had spoken about before the game.

Four minutes later, Marseille struck again through a move built down the right as Timothy Weah beat Tino Livramento and delivered a cross that Aubameyang guided in at the near post.

The veteran forward’s quickfire double electrified the stadium and left Newcastle shell-shocked as their defensive organisation faltered under Marseille’s renewed tempo.

Joe Willock tested Rulli with a driven effort as Newcastle sought a response, but Marseille controlled the rhythm and prevented the visitors from regaining fluency.

Howe switched to a back four and introduced several substitutes, yet the changes did not unsettle a Marseille side that had seized both initiative and confidence.

Aubameyang departed to a standing ovation after a display that combined clinical finishing with impeccable movement and leadership.

Newcastle pushed late on but could not breach a Marseille team that managed the closing stages intelligently and kept the visitors at arm’s length.

The result lifted Marseille to their second win of the league phase, while Newcastle’s persistent struggles on the road left them eighth and facing a more complicated route towards progression.