Newcastle United Triumphs In Pre-Season With 4-0 Victory Against Girona

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Newcastle United delivered a dominant performance in their penultimate pre-season match, defeating La Liga team Girona 4-0 on Friday. The Magpies were unstoppable in the first half, with Sean Longstaff, Jacob Murphy, and Anthony Gordon scoring within the first 15 minutes. Longstaff added another goal before halftime, ensuring Newcastle's first win of their two pre-season fixtures at St. James' Park this weekend.

The game started energetically, with Longstaff scoring in the third minute. Murphy doubled the lead shortly after with a powerful shot that hit the crossbar. A mistake by David Lopez allowed Alexander Isak to assist Gordon, who calmly finished with a left-footed strike into the far corner. Isak had an opportunity to extend the lead further when he was fouled in the box, but his penalty was saved by Paulo Gazzaniga.

Joelinton's header hit the crossbar, and Longstaff volleyed home the rebound to complete the first-half rout. Despite missing several chances in the second half, including opportunities from Murphy and Isak, Newcastle's early dominance secured their victory against Girona.

Newcastle could have won by an even larger margin given their performance. They recorded an expected goals (xG) of 3.24 but underperformed by 0.76, with 11 of their 20 shots on target and four big chances missed.

The Magpies were expecting a tougher challenge from Girona, who will compete in the Champions League next season. However, Newcastle's clinical first-half display ensured they came out on top comfortably.

Final Preparations

Newcastle will conclude their pre-season preparations against French side Brest on Saturday before facing Southampton in their Premier League opener next weekend.

This victory sets a positive tone for Newcastle as they head into their final pre-season match and prepare for the competitive season ahead.