We asked Mark Jankowski to give us his match ratings and player commentary after Marseille 2 Newcastle 1.
Pope 5
If it weren’t for the absolute madness of his rush from the goal at the start of the second half, I would probably have given Nick Pope a seven or eight for his performance.
He made some really good saves and controlled his penalty area well when needed.
His aggressive nature off the line has saved us in the past when we played with slower centre-backs, but Malick Thiaw has excellent pace and had good control of the situation, so there was no need for Pope to be so far off his line.
Livramento 6
A decent performance in the first half from Tino after his excellent performances at the weekend.
He gave Weah a little too much space to get the cross for Marseille’s second goal and was probably withdrawn with the intention of keeping him match fit.
Thiaw 8
The German defender continues to deliver great performance after great performance.
He made some excellent recovery tackles to prevent Aubameyang from getting shots in both the first and second half.
He must have been very confused to see Nick Pope racing out of position early in the second half, as he could very well have guided Aubameyang into the corner or back to his own goal.
Group 6
Schar was solid defensively in the first half with a few crucial blocks when crosses came into the box.
However, he found himself falling a little behind when Weah crossed shortly into the second half and Aubameyang got past him to finish for Marseille’s second.
Burn 7
Burn looked much more confident than in recent weeks, returning to his more natural position as a centre-half.
This time as part of a centre-back role, he led the entire game in the air and was solid in the tackle.
Bruno 6
Bruno wasn’t quite at the same level we’ve seen him in the last few games.
However, he performed well in all areas, barring his last ball.
When he doesn’t do that quite right, it’s a little more noticeable just because he’s so aggressive in trying to make those types of passes. There was only one wasteful forward balls too many in the final third tonight.
Tonal 6
Tonali worked relentlessly as ever in our midfield with plenty of recovery runs time and time again to help delay or prevent Marseille’s counter-attacks.
As with Bruno, his efforts in the final third left a little to be desired tonight.
He managed to get into excellent positions a few times. Towards the end of the first half the ball broke to him in the Marseille penalty area, but he made a tame shot instead of directing the ball to Bruno, who was unmarked.
Willock
I thought Willock’s performance was one of the highlights of an otherwise frustrating evening.
A few eyebrows were raised when he started ahead of others, but he justified his selection with an excellent pressing performance.
He pushed the ball forward whenever he could and almost got an assist late in the first half, an excellent cross just evading Anthony Gordon in the penalty area.
He also had one of the best chances of the second half.
Murphy5
He was sometimes very sloppy in possession, but worked diligently in his defensive duties while on the pitch.
Murphy started to have a bit of fun swinging the ball into the box in the second half but was pulled back before making any real impact.
Gordon 6
I really struggle to score Gordon’s performance as I thought he was excellent on the ball.
His press at the top wreaked havoc on the Marseille backline and was crucial to our tactics in the first half.
However, he didn’t do enough in possession to really trouble Marseille’s defenders or goalkeeper, so I give him a potentially generous six.
Barnes 7
Barnes’ excellent form in front of goal continued tonight, ending expertly at the start of the match.
In addition to his finishing, Barnes was excellent at driving the ball forward throughout the match, often creating dangerous situations or winning valuable free-kicks.
Provided he’s not too tired, I think his performance tonight has confirmed his start at Everton on Saturday.
SUBS
Hall 6
It took him a while to settle into the game after Howe made his first set of changes.
Newcastle struggled to maintain any form of possession after the substitutions were made.
Ultimately, he showed why he is our best left-back winning possession on several occasions, linking well with Barnes on the left.
Unfortunately, he was unable to create many real chances during his time on the pitch, but more valuable minutes for the young English left-back.
The garden
Elanga’s pace unnerved Marseille’s defenders at times and he had one good chance to score his first goal for Newcastle. However, his shot from close range was well read by the Marseille goalkeeper. I think Eddie Howe would have wanted more from the Swede during his time on the pitch, and we’re still waiting for that standout performance since his arrival.
Miley 6
I was thrown into the fray as a makeshift right back and was a bit concerned when Miley first came on.
However, he performed his duties well and was probably helped by the fact that Marseille started to sit back more as the match progressed.
Woltemade 6
I probably would have appointed the German striker a little earlier than when Howe decided to introduce him.
He was able to link the play more effectively than Anthony Gordon who came before him. He never really managed to get a clear-cut chance, often quickly surrounded in the Marseille box.
I understand why Howe wanted Gordon at the start of the game as his pressing was crucial to our attacking patterns, but I expect Woltemade to return to the starting line-up this weekend.
Ramsey 6
Since his arrival I have been quite critical of our summer acquisition; However, I thought this was one of his better performances to date.
He carried the ball well and won an excellent free-kick on the edge of the Marseille area, which was unfortunately squandered by Sandro Tonali.
Marseille 2 Newcastle 1 – Tuesday November 25, 2025 8:00 PM
Match statistics
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Barnes 6
Marseille:
Aubameyang 46, 50
Possess was Newcastle 43% Marseille 57%
Total shots were Newcastle 20 Marseille 18
Shots on target were Newcastle 9 Marseille 7
Corners were Newcastle 5 Marseille 11
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 31 Marseille 26
Newcastle team in Marseille:
Pope, Livramento (Room 60), Thiaw, Schar (Elanga 61), Burn, Willock (Ramsey 72), Bruno, Tonali, Barnes, Gordon (Woltemade 72), Murphy (Miley 60)
Unused subs:
Thompson, Ramsdale, Botman, Joelinton, Alex Murphy, Alabi
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