Dan Burn’s thunderous header helps Newcastle to win over Athletic Bilbao

Dan Burn produced a header of brutal beauty as they eased to a 2-0 Champions League victory over Athletic Bilbao on a night when he had urged Newcastle to remember how to win ugly.

The 33-year-old defender powered home an unstoppable 11th-minute effort, with Joelinton adding a second after the break to wrap up a win against the injury-ravaged Spaniards and a third in succession in the competition to significantly improve their qualification hopes.

It was just the response head coach Eddie Howe was looking for after Sunday’s dismal 3-1 Premier League defeat at West Ham and, while the game was tight for long periods, the Magpies were ultimately worthy winners.

In an untidy start to the game during which both sides surrendered possession at regular intervals, the LaLiga outfit more than held their own.

Indeed, it was they who created the game’s first opportunity when Unai Gomez met Alex Berenguer’s corner unopposed but directed his header straight at goalkeeper Nick Pope.

The Magpies thought they had taken a ninth-minute lead when Joelinton ran on to Malick Thiaw’s ball forward, turned defender Dani Vivian and fired past keeper Unai Simon, only for a tight offside decision to go against him.

However, they did go in front two minutes later when the unmarked Burn met Kieran Trippier’s free-kick with a thunderous header which went in off the far post.

Bilbao continued to move the ball at pace, with Berenguer prominent down the left to keep Tripper and Thiaw on their toes and Pope had to block an 18th-minute Gomez shot with his leg after Alejandro Rego had made the most of Newcastle’s sloppiness in the middle of the field.

However, the keeper needed the help of his right post seconds later when, after a Berenguer corner had