Newcastle United won its first game under Matthias Jaissle. Yet the first half of the friendly in Spain could hardly have started or gone any worse.
Fans eagerly awaited the debut of their new coach, Matthias Jaissle. His hiring has sparked great hope among the Magpies. In his first game in charge, he started his two German compatriots in Valencia—center back Thiaw even wore the captain’s armband, while Woltemade played as the number 10.
But things didn’t go as planned at first: Ugrinic put the Spaniards ahead with a spectacular long-range shot just four minutes in. Osula would have liked to respond immediately to the disastrous start, but his attempt crashed into the side netting (7th minute).
Ten minutes before halftime, emotions boiled over at Mestalla when Gaya brought down opponent Elanga with a vicious tackle using the sole of his boot. A large scuffle immediately broke out, resulting in Gaya receiving a well-deserved red card—and Elanga actually having to be substituted.
A Good Instinct with Wissa
At halftime, Jaissle brought in four fresh players and proved he had the right instinct, particularly with the substitution of striker Wissa. Wissa immediately made an impact, anticipating a weak back pass, running onto it, and nutmegging goalkeeper Dimitrievski to tie the game (52nd minute).
A match that was subsequently marked by numerous substitutions took a turn as the final quarter of an hour began—thanks to the standout Wissa. On a counterattack against the home team, who had pushed far up the field, Touré—who had come on at halftime—ran unmarked toward Dimitrievski before the former Hoffenheim player squared the ball to his striker, who had made a run, at just the right moment. Wissa only had to tap it in to complete his brace (76th minute).
It would prove to be the decisive goal of the evening—and secure a victory for Jaissle on his debut. Already this coming Wednesday, the team faces league rival Everton, before the dress rehearsal against Bayer 04 Leverkusen takes place at St. James’ Park in a week’s time.