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Eddie Howe had reason to be wary. Up against a young hotshot coach and his high-flying Belgian champions, Newcastle’s manager must have felt a degree of pressure at the kick-off.
Given that Howe’s team are still coming to terms with the departure of their former leading scorer Alexander Isak and had been struggling for form, a balmy early October night in Brussels seemed far from the ideal time or place to meet Sébastian Pocognoli’s vibrant Union Saint-Gilloise.
A loss at Anderlecht’s Lotto Park – Uefa deems Union SG’s own ground too small for Champions League games – would inevitably have left Newcastle in “crisis” before Sunday’s Premier League date with a hitherto similarly stuttering Nottingham Forest on Tyneside.
Instead they will face Ange Postecoglou’s side with confidence fully restored after goals from the impressive Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes, allied to excellent performances by Sandro Tonali and Anthony Elanga in particular, ultimately overwhelmed Pocognoli’s commendably spirited side.
Lotto Park was gloriously loud at kick off and locals might have had something to celebrate had Kevin Rodríguez not directed a headed half chance over the bar after connecting with the fall out from Anouar Ait El Hadj’s corner.
Ait El Hadj was operating as a classic No 10 in the hole behind Rodríguez and Promise David in Union SG’s 3-4-1-2 formation. Perhaps believing that fortune really does favour the brave, Pocognoli had elected to persist with his preferred twin striker system against a Newcastle defence once again featuring Dan Burn in his less assured left-back role.
It was Pocognoli’s rearguard that came under the most intense early pressure though. Kevin Scherpen, Union SG’s former Brighton goalkeeper, has a penchant for punching when catching looks more straightforward and this high-risk habit only exacerbated the strain on the one time Portsmouth defender Christian Burgess and company.
In the 17th minute their resistance broke when Tonali’s volley deflected off Woltemade and evaded Scherpen’s grasp. Howe says that Tonali’s shot is so hard that he fears for his goalkeepers’ wrists in training. No matter; just lately, he has encouraged the Italy midfielder to have extra finishing practice. When Elanga’s cross was cleared only partially and the ball dropped for Tonali it certainly suggested that such efforts are paying off.
Although Howe’s players queued up to congratulate Tonali, Uefa subsequently awarded the goal to Woltemade, who had sneaked just in front of Kevin Mac Allister. Indeed from some angles it looked as if the ball had hit Mac Allister but Woltemade will doubtless be happy to register his third Newcastle goal since arriving from Stuttgart for £70m in August.
It is not much more than a year ago since Union SG were competing with Stuttgart to sign Woltemade and it says much for the Belgian club’s data-led recruitment system that Isak’s replacement is now not merely Newcastle’s record buy but a Germany international.
Creditably, Pocognoli’s players responded to his latest goal by redoubling their efforts. David, a Canadian striker scouted regularly by several Premier League clubs, began ruffling Burn and friends and, after he won a corner, the ball eventually dropped to the dangerously positioned Adem Zorgane. Nick Pope needed to dive low to turn Zorgane’s shot around a post.
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A fortnight ago David had scored as Union SG marked their Champions League debut with a 3-1 win at PSV Eindhoven but Newcastle were proving far tougher opponents. By half-time they had doubled their advantage, courtesy of Gordon’s impeccably executed penalty after Fedde Leysen felled Elanga.
Although Ait El Hadj’s vision and movement subsequently caught Howe’s defence cold, the gifted Moroccan lifted his ensuing shot over the bar as the match started to drift away from the hosts.
Yet as outstanding as Woltemade’s hold-up and linked play continued to be, Union SG still had their moments. When Anan Khalaili dodged Burn, Pope looked suitably relieved to see his angled shot fly fractionally wide as the drummers among the home fans resumed their almost incessant beating.
It took Gordon’s second penalty of the night to subdue though, that kick having been awarded following a VAR review after one of his crosses was handled by Kamiel van de Perre.
It proved the cue for Ross Sykes, the former Accrington’s defender and a lifelong Newcastle fan, to replace Mac Allister in a game he will surely never forget. Pope was required to save smartly when another home substitute, and Southampton old boy, Sofiane Boufal let fly from 25 yards.
Boufal was soon upstaged by Harvey Barnes who stepped off the bench and, almost, immediately scored Newcastle’s fourth. The winger concluded a tremendous counter-attack by sweeping the ball home after fine work from Gordon and Will Osula.
