Newcastle United's 2-1 loss to Marseille was largely attributed to a lapse in concentration at the start of the second half, according to Eddie Howe and Dan Burn. The team was leading at halftime thanks
to Harvey Barnes' early goal, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's quick double after the break changed the game. Despite Newcastle's strong first-half performance, they couldn't maintain their lead.
Aubameyang equalised just 20 seconds into the second half, catching Newcastle off guard. He rounded goalkeeper Nick Pope and scored from a difficult angle on the right wing. Five minutes later, he capitalised on Timothy Weah's low cross, completing Marseille's comeback and leaving Newcastle struggling to respond.
Eddie Howe expressed his disappointment with the team's reaction after conceding the first goal. "I think the goal straight away, near enough, after half-time changes the whole feeling around the stadium and the game itself," Howe told TNT Sports. He noted that their concentration lapse led to a second goal, making it challenging for them to recover.
Dan Burn echoed these sentiments, acknowledging that Newcastle didn't start the second half as strongly as they had hoped. "Mentally, we didn't start the second half as well as we wanted to," Burn stated. He praised Aubameyang's sharpness despite his age and highlighted how difficult it was for Newcastle to break down Marseille once they were trailing.
At 36 years and 160 days old, Aubameyang became one of the oldest players to score multiple goals in a Champions League match. This achievement places him alongside notable players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski, and Edin Dzeko who have accomplished similar feats at an advanced age.
Burn also reflected on missed opportunities during the match. He believed that Newcastle had chances to score but failed to take advantage of them. "I thought it was a pretty good performance, but key moments cost us," Burn admitted. The team was left disappointed by their inability to capitalise on these opportunities.
Defeat in Marseille.
Newcastle United (@NUFC)
Despite this setback, Newcastle remains focused on improving their performance in future matches. The team aims to learn from this experience and address issues that led to their defeat against Marseille.
