Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang once again proved to be Newcastle United’s nemesis, netting a brace to secure Marseille’s 2-1 comeback victory in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.
Newcastle had looked on course for a fourth consecutive European win after Harvey Barnes gave them an early lead, but the second half belonged to the experienced Gabonese striker.
Within 20 seconds of the restart, Aubameyang capitalized on a defensive lapse, calmly slotting past Nick Pope to level the score.
He then turned Timothy Weah’s low cross into the top corner in the 50th minute, completing the turnaround.
Marseille had struggled to break through in the first half, with Aubameyang missing two close-range opportunities, but he made no mistakes when the chances counted.
Newcastle continued to pose a threat on the counterattack but could not find a response, leaving Eddie Howe’s side eighth in the Champions League with nine points, three ahead of Marseille.
The match’s xG reflected a tight contest: Marseille generated 1.69 expected goals from 18 shots, slightly edging Newcastle’s 1.46 from 20 attempts. Newcastle’s pattern of struggle after taking the lead away from home continued, as this marked their third consecutive away loss after scoring first.
For Aubameyang, the win reinforced his remarkable record against Newcastle, having now scored eight goals and provided three assists in 10 matches across all competitions for former Arsenal and current Marseille.
