Newcastle 2-0 Burnley
by Roger Domeneghetti

HAVING dispensed the champions of Europe and England in midweek, Newcastle made relatively light work of last season’s Championship winners yesterday.

The Magpies will play better and lose this season. Although their passing, certainly in the early stages of the game, was not as crisp as it could have been, and they squandered several chances to put the game to bed early on, this was a game they dominated without really ever really being made to work too hard.

“We knew we had to be very good today,” said Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. “They play an open game today but it’s a dangerous a game. I thought we deserved to win.”

As in the second half against Manchester City, they were more intense, quicker to the ball than their opponents. Their challenges had a little more bite. That approach paid off after 15 minutes when Kieran Trippier dispossessed a ponderous Aaron Ramsey. Miguel Almiron raced on to the loose ball, advanced and rifled a shot past James Trafford from the edge of the D.

Almiron and Aleksander Isak both wasted opportunities to double the home side’s lead before the break, leaving the nagging possibility that Burnley might have stolen a point.

Any uncertainty was put to rest with 15 minutes to go when Ameen Al-Dakhil brought Anthony Gordon down in the box. Referee Thomas Bramall pointed to the spot, and Aleksander Isak made no mistake.

Ironically, this prompted Burnley’s best spell of the game. Al-Dakhil almost made immediate amends for his error, forcing a smart save from Nick Pope with a header from the corner. However, in truth the result was never in doubt.

Newcastle now go into their next date with one of last season’s champions — Paris St Germain on Wednesday — on the back of five clean sheets, a run that includes four wins and a draw away in Milan.

If there was a downside for Newcastle it was that Joelinton was forced to hobble off injured barely 15 minutes after he came on as a second-half substitute. “It looks like a hamstring, and that would be a huge blow if we lose him, but we’ll have to wait and see,” said Howe.

"It’s a difficult moment for us injury-wise. But it is what it is and we have to deal with it and deal with those injuries.”