Newcastle 1 Malaga 3

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

At the VELTINS-Arena

 

 

Newcastle United 1 (Obertan 60)

Malaga 3 (Darder 25, Castillejo 32, 43)

 

Newcastle United suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Malaga in their first game of the Schalke 04 Cup on Saturday.

The Spanish side raced into a three-goal lead before half-time, thanks to an eye-catching brace from teenager Samu Castillejo and one from Sergi Darder.

Gabriel Obertan pulled one back for the Magpies on the hour mark but Alan Pardew's side suffered a first defeat in four pre-season games. 

Having kept three consecutive clean sheets in the build-up to this game, it was a nightmare start for United who were on the back foot for long spells of the opening period and had goalkeeper Rob Elliot to thank for keeping the scoreline down.

However, the stopper could do nothing about Darder's long-range drive which broke the deadlock in Malaga's favour, and Castiellejo then stole the show, volleying home at the far post before finding the top corner with the aid of a deflection.

Newcastle substitute Obertan provided a moment of cheer when he lashed home from a short corner but United were unable to claw their way back into the contest.

Malaga fashioned the first opening of the match inside two minutes, with Roque Santa Cruz's deflected cross being blazed high over the bar by Ricardo Horta.

Seconds later, Rob Elliot was called into action, smothering Samu Castillego's angled snapshot at his near post, shortly before making a fine one-handed stop to turn behind captain Duda's fierce drive.

The Spanish side were posing the greater threat and on 19 minutes, as United failed to clear their lines from an inswinging free-kick, brave blocks from Elliot and then Steven Taylor - throwing his body in the way of Weligton's follow-up - preserved their clean sheet for the time being.

It took Newcastle 20 minutes to carve out their first goalscoring opportunity, but Sissoko volleyed Massadio Haidara's set-piece delivery narrowly wide, and Malaga were soon back on the front foot, with central midfielder Darder sending a free header over from six yards.

That was a poor miss but Darder made amends in the 25th minute, sending a fantastic first-time 25-yard strike past Elliot and in off the post.

Elliot was called into action again on the half-hour mark, making a fine stop with his leg to keep out Santa Cruz, after the former Blackburn and Manchester City man had latched on to Horta's clever flick.

But the impressive goalkeeper was powerless to prevent Malaga doubling their advantage when Jesus Gamez crossed to the far post and found Castillejo completely unmarked, with the teenager supplying a fine, volleyed finish.

And having netted once, Castillejo netted his second - and Los Boquerones' third - two minutes before the break.

When the ball was worked across to the left, he took a touch before letting fly into the top corner, although it got a notable deflection off Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa on its way past Elliot.

Manager Alan Pardew made four changes at the break, with Emmanuel Riviere, Yoan Gouffran, Rolando Aarons and Gabriel Obertan all introduced, but it failed to stem the tide and Malaga should have bagged a fourth of the afternoon on 54 minutes, when Ignacio Camacho headed down and inches wide from a corner.

United hit back and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa nodded off target from Obertan's cut back, while Gouffran forced an excellent save from Idris Kameni with a long-range strike.

And from the resulting corner, the Magpies pulled one back - Jack Colback playing a short corner to Obertan, who jinked past a defender before firing home.

Substitutions disrupted the flow of the second half and Newcastle were unable to add to their tally, as they suffered a disappointing defeat.

 

Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Rob Elliot; Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (Lubo Satka 84), Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini (c) (Mike Williamson 74), Massadio Haidara (Paul Dummett 67); Mehdi Abeid (Haris Vuckic 74), Jack Colback (Vurnon Anita 67); Moussa Sissoko (Gabriel Obertan 46), Adam Armstrong (Yoan Gouffran 46), Remy Cabella (Rolando Aarons 46); Ayoze Perez (Emmanuel Riviere 46)

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Jak Alnwick, Daryl Janmaat, Remie Streete, Cheick Tiote, Adam Campbell

 

Malaga (4-2-3-1): Idris Kameni; Jesus Gamez, Wellington, Sergio Sanchez (Alberto Angeleri 73), Antunes; Sergi Darder (Juanami 73), Ignacio Camacho; Ricardo Horta (Pablo Perez 86), Duda (c) (Samuel Sanchez 86), Samu Castillejo (Juanpi 54); Roque Santa Cruz (Luis Alberto 73)

Subs not used: Guillermo Ochoa, Agustin Cousillas, Arthur Boka, Jose Rosales, Recio, Ezequiel Rescaldani

 

Referee: Christian Bandurski

Bookings: Newcastle - Vuckic (88); Malaga - none