Newcastle United delivered an emphatic response to their weekend disappointment, defeating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at St James' Park to secure their third consecutive Champions League triumph.
Dan Burn's magnificent header and Joelinton's clinical finish proved decisive against the injury-ravaged Spanish visitors.
The victory propels Newcastle into sixth position in the league phase standings with nine points from four matches. Their sole defeat came against Barcelona in the opening fixture.
The result marks Newcastle's fifth straight home victory across all competitions. It provides crucial momentum following Sunday's dispiriting 3-1 reverse at West Ham, which left Eddie Howe's side languishing in thirteenth place domestically.
Dan Burn scored a sensational header against Athletic Bilbao
|REUTERS
The Magpies now sit firmly amongst the top eight, positioning themselves strongly for automatic qualification to the knockout rounds.
Burn's moment of brilliance arrived after just eleven minutes when Kieran Trippier's expertly delivered free-kick found the defender unmarked in the penalty area.
The England international connected with devastating precision, sending a curling header beyond Unai Simon and into the far corner from ten yards.
The Spanish side, missing key players including brothers Inaki and Nico Williams, responded with determination.
Unai Gomez squandered an early opportunity, directing his header straight at Nick Pope from Alex Berenguer's corner.
Dan Burn's header was commended by Eddie Howe after the match
|REUTERS
Athletic threatened twice more as Newcastle momentarily wavered. Gomez broke through but struck the near post, whilst Adama Boiro unleashed a fierce effort from eighteen yards that crashed against the woodwork.
Newcastle weathered the storm before Anthony Gordon departed with a recurring hip problem late in the opening period. The setback failed to derail the hosts' momentum.
Four minutes after the interval, Harvey Barnes created space down the left flank before delivering an inviting cross.
Joelinton met the delivery emphatically, powering his header beyond Simon at the near post for his first goal in nine matches.
The Brazilian's strike effectively sealed the points, though Pope required sharp reflexes to deny substitute Nico Serrano's spectacular long-range attempt.
The England goalkeeper produced another fine save from Serrano as Newcastle maintained their clean sheet.
The comfortable conclusion marked a stark contrast to their weekend struggles, with Howe's men controlling proceedings throughout the closing stages.
Eddie Howe expressed satisfaction with his team's response, telling TNT Sports: "Really pleased with today. It was an important response to West Ham.
"We had a quick turnaround for this game. I don't think it was us at our best but we're in a good position now in this competition."
The Newcastle manager highlighted Burn's exceptional technique: "It was very reminiscent of the cup final. It was from distance. It was a training ground move so well done to all the coaches involved in that."
Howe emphasised the importance of goals from midfield: "Joelinton needs to score.
Big Dan Burn heads Newcastle into the lead 🔥
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 5, 2025
What a goal that was 🤩
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/nVaSJsbx1w
"He's always been a scorer of big goals for us. We've worked on it. We need our eights and wide men to start chipping in."
Newcastle visit Brentford on Sunday before facing daunting away fixtures against Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen in Europe.