A few penalties from Anthony Gordon and strikes from Nick Woltemade and Harvey Barnes encouraged Newcastle United to collect his first points of the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 campaign with an emphatic 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gillo on Wednesday.
It was a rare success in Europe for Newcastle and a positive response after defeat in the opening group phase match at home in Barcelona last month.
The goal of Woltemade was a film that blurred a shot by Sandro Tonali in the 17th minute, while Gordon brought punishments on either side of the break.
Replacement Barnes added shine to the score by completing a quick counterattack 10 minutes from the end to just move his fourth in the different stadium, where Union had to move his Champions League tires.
Newcastle had only won one of the previous 11 road races in the European club competition, but it controlled most of the affair despite a lively show of his host, who hoped to replicate a shock appearance at PSV Eindhoven in his group opener.
The first goal came after the cross of Anthony Elanga was only cleaned up to Tonali on the edge of the box, which shot into a crowd of players with Woltemade who got a rear heel in the ball, changed his direction and opened the visitor account.
Elanga was polluted for the first penalty when he jinked his way of the wing in the penalty box of the Belgian champion, with the challenge of Fedde Leysen who caught him on the ankle when he abused his tackle. Gordon converted two minutes from the rest.
Read also | Champions League 2025-26: Napoli’s Hojlund Nets Double in 2-1 victory over Sporting
Leysen then gave away a second penalty for an error on Woltemade that was initially not given but was then awarded after a VAR assessment. The photos showed Leysen to the Woltemade sweater and also handled the ball at the same time, and Gordon sent the 64th minute away with a similar conviction as he had done with the first.
Gordon then became the provider and won possession in his own half to set up the fourth goal, making it quickly sent to the field, where Barnes in combination with colleague replacement William Osula was combined in a fast counter before he ended smartly.
Tonali could have made the score 5-0 at the last minute, but his close-in attempt was sharply saved by Kjell Scherpen.
The next Champions League assignment from Newcastle is at home against Benfica on October 21, while Union organizes the second-year student Inter Milan in the second night.
Dortmund survives Wobble to earn 4-1 win over Bilbao
Borussia Dortmund was about to blow a lead of two goals for the second consecutive Champions League match before holding his nerve to achieve a 4-1 win for athletic Bilbao.
Unbeaten over all competitions so far this season, Dortmund seemed to have learned his lesson after he spectacularly admitted two goals deep in the second half of the stopping time to settle for a 4-4 draw against Juventus on the first day of match.
On Wednesday it went 2-0 with goals from Daniel Svensson and Carney Chukwuemeka in every half and with little resistance from the visitor.
The Spaniards, however, improved after the break and withdrew a goal through Gorka Guruzeta in the 61st minute before they missed different opportunities to go into a nail -biting final.
Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, back from an injury, established the nerves of home fans with a deflected attempt eight minutes from the end to restore his pillow with two goals before Julian Brandt added another one in stopping time to seal his victory.
Published on October 2, 2025
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(739x433:741x435)/niall-horan-blake-shelton-the-voice-2023-093025-7998e34bd2fc4ffa9709d83a88f548b2.jpg?w=238&resize=238,178&ssl=1 "Niall Horan dice que extraña a Blake Shelton en «La Voix»")
