European Football Thread

[ghazi52]

Sun 13 Apr 2025
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Premier League
Newcastle United- 4 , Manchester United- 1 at Full time

Half Time Newcastle United 1 , Manchester United 1
HT 1-1

Newcastle recorded a first league double over Manchester United since 1930-31

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist


Newcastle United strengthened their push for a Champions League spot in the absence of unwell boss Eddie Howe with a crushing win over Manchester United at St James' Park.

Howe was admitted to hospital on Friday having felt unwell for a number of days.

Assistants Jason Tindall and Graeme Jones took charge against the Red Devils and the players responded with an exceptional performance as they recorded a first league double over their opponents since the 1930-31 campaign.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim dropped first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana after his two mistakes against Lyon in Thursday's 2-2 Europa League quarter-final first-leg draw, but replacement Altay Bayındır was guilty of a serious error to seal an easy home win.

The Turkey international clipped a ball straight to Joelinton who headed into the path of Bruno Guimaraes to make it 4-1 in the 77th minute.

By then, though, Newcastle were in complete command.

They were the better side from the first minute to the last and opened the scoring when Alexander Isak's lobbed pass over the visiting defence ended with Sandro Tonali finding the net.

Italy midfielder Tonali went close to doubling the lead from distance, while Bayındır did well to deny Isak, before Manchester United equalised against the run of play.

Alejandro Garnacho kept his composure eight minutes before the break to shoot beyond Nick Pope for his side's first goal in three top-flight games.

But Newcastle moved up to fourth spot - just a point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest - when Harvey Barnes put the game out of reach with two second-half goals.

After tapping home Jacob Murphy's pass across the six-yard area to make it 2-1 in the 49th minute, Barnes produced a ruthless finish 15 minutes later after a slip by Noussair Mazraoui. Bayindir's howler compounded United's misery on Tyneside.

United, who lost Joshua Zirkzee to a suspected hamstring injury, dropped below Everton on goal difference to 14th in the table - and just three points off fourth-bottom West Ham - after a 10th defeat in 21 Premier League games under Amorim.

 

[ghazi52]

'Arsenal are in a fantastic position'​

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Paul: As an Arsenal fan, I am starting to worry about tomorrow night. Do you think I am overreacting?

Hi, Paul. I totally get it. You’re a fan and fans invariably fear the worst.

I accept Real Madrid are one of the team you would not be surprised to see turn around a 3-0 first leg loss – but what would you have said if I’d given you a 3-0 Arsenal win before that first game? You’d have bitten my hand off.

I understand your concerns but Arsenal are in a fantastic position.

Champions League is 'extremely difficult to navigate'
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Phil McNulty Q&A

Anon: Do you think that clubs like PSG, who don't need to worry about getting a Champions League place, are learning to adjust so they peak at the right time to potentially win Champions League? Only one team has been consistently excellent in the Champions League this season (Barcelona). Keeping up that level of excellence over an entire season is extraordinarily difficult, partially explains why some outstanding teams didn't win it.

I just think PSG have developed – full stop. They used to be a collection of individuals such as Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. They are now a team, the real deal in my opinion.

I agree about maintaining a level of excellence and the new format threw up some interesting draws such as Manchester City v Real Madrid and PSG v Liverpool – so there were two potential winners (Liverpool more likely than City given form this season) who went out.

It is an incredibly difficult competition to navigate.