Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s double for Marseille steals win away from Newcastle

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dented Newcastle’s Champions League charge as Marseille came from behind to claim their second win of the campaign.

The Magpies led 1-0 at the Velodrome courtesy of Harvey Barnes’ sixth-minute opener, his third goal in four days after his match-winning double against Manchester City, and were good value for it.

However, they were undone inside five second half minutes when 36-year-old former Arsenal frontman Aubameyang first capitalised on an error by goalkeeper Nick Pope to level and then stabbed the Ligue 1 side ahead amid a much-improved display to snatch a 2-1 victory.

Defeat in Marseille. pic.twitter.com/6ri6x74e8X

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) November 25, 2025

Eddie Howe sprung a surprise by picking Jacob Murphy and Tino Livramento to line up at wing-back ahead of a three-man defence, but his side made the early running with Marseille captain Leonardo Balerdi just beating Anthony Gordon to Barnes’ early cross and Bruno Guimaraes seeing his shot from the resulting corner blocked.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had to clear Malick Thiaw’s fourth-minute header off the line as the visitors continued to press, and they were ahead two minutes later when Gordon helped on Sandro Tonali’s cross and Barnes confidently slotted home.

The hosts dominated possession as they looked for a way back into the game, but the Magpies’ well organised 5-4-1 formation repeatedly frustrated them, although Pope had to save twice in quick succession from Aubameyang as they started to make an impression with Mason Greenwood the architect on both occasions.

Tonali forced a 23rd-minute save from Geronimo Rulli with a tame shot after his cross had been blocked, but Marseille’s 17-year-old midfielder Darryl Bakola, making his first