Jaissle’s Newcastle secure early victory over Valencia in pre-season opener
Matthias Jaissle’s first match in charge was marked by a late comeback, two goals from Yoane Wissa, and the debuts of significant new signings Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba.
Newcastle United have begun their pre-season campaign with a 2-1 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium, marking the first competitive outing for new head coach Matthias Jaissle. The result provides an early, albeit friendly, indicator of the squad’s direction under the new management, with key new acquisitions making their debuts and the team recovering from an early deficit to take all three points.
Valencia took an early lead through Filip Ugrinic, who curled a shot into the net to open the scoring. The visitors were further hampered in the first half when Valencia captain Jose Gaya was shown a red card for a bad tackle on Anthony Elanga. The incident saw Elanga substituted with a shin injury, though club assessments suggest the issue is not serious.
Newcastle’s response was anchored by the impact of substitute Yoane Wissa. Entering the fray at the half-hour mark, Wissa equalised with a composed finish from close range after Valencia substitute Guido Fernandes lost possession. He later secured the win, slotting home a second goal following a precise square pass from new signing Bazoumana Toure, who had applied effective pressure on Fernandes to force the error.
The match also served as the debut stage for high-profile acquisitions Toure and Aladji Bamba. Toure, who joined from Hoffenheim in a deal worth £43m, was instrumental in both Newcastle goals through his pressing and distribution. Bamba, arriving from Monaco for up to £34m, appeared composed in his first appearance despite a few misplaced passes, while Harvey Barnes started but faces competition for the starting role from Toure.
Defensively, the new-look side showed signs of adaptation. Malick Thiaw was handed the captain’s armband on his 25th birthday, while goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek made several decent saves, though he was noted for needing to improve communication with his centre-backs. Sven Botman had a scare after nearly heading the ball into his own net following a defensive mix-up, and Miodrag Pivas acquitted himself well after being deployed out of position at left-back.
The performance offered mixed signals regarding attacking cohesion. Jacob Ramsey provided an energetic display and a clipped pass that led to a goal disallowed for offside, while Nick Woltemade struggled to influence the game and was knocked off the ball easily. William Osula saw a shot hit the side netting and had a penalty appeal waved away, highlighting the ongoing work required to finalise the team’s attacking structure.
As pre-season continues, Jaissle will look to address the defensive vulnerabilities and attacking inefficiencies exposed in this fixture. With the squad integrating new talent and adjusting to tactical changes, the focus now shifts to building consistency ahead of the competitive season, with the Mestalla result serving as a foundational, if preliminary, step in that process.
