Newcastle United half-time player ratings v Rayo Vallecano: ‘Hot and cold’ 5/10 and ‘effective’ 7/10 - gallery
Newcastle United are leading Rayo Vallecano 1-0 at half-time at St James’s Park - but how have the players fared so far? Here are our player ratings...
Eddie Howe named a strong Newcastle line-up to face the La Liga side on Saturday afternoon with Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier starting after returning from the World Cup with England.
And it took the hosts just four minutes to find a breakthrough as Kieran Trippier’s cross wasn’t properly cleared as Jacob Murphy picked up the loose ball to find Sean Longstaff to smash Newcastle ahead from a tight angle.
Here are the half-time player ratings from the match so far...
1. Nick Pope - 7
Made a good save to deny Gomez early on. Showing no signs of rustiness after a lack of action at the World Cup in Qatar. Photo: Stu Forster
2. Kieran Trippier - 7
Continues to be a great outlet for Newcastle down the right side with his first foray forward leading to Newcastle’s opening goal. Survived an injury scare. Photo: Justin Setterfield
3. Jamaal Lascelles - 7
Made a good defensive header early on and timed his tackles well. A solid display. Photo: Stu Forster
4. Sven Botman - 7
Had a shaky moment dealing with a bouncing ball in the box early on but was rarely troubled after. Read the game well. Photo: George Wood