What Matias Fernandez-Pardo did moments after Newcastle United introduction as Ross Wilson watches on
Millwall 0-1 Newcastle United: Joe Willock scored a late winner as Matthias Jaissle’s side progressed to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.
Newcastle United made it through to the last 16 of the Carabao Cup for the fifth successive season as they edged past Millwall with a 1-0 win at The Den on Tuesday evening.
Joe Willock’s 81st-minute strike proved to be the difference between the sides as Newcastle secured their place in the fourth round.
Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson watched on from the stands as just two of his eight summer signings started the match. Nico Gonzalez and Lukas Hornicek kept their place in the side from the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth while Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba, Bazoumana Toure and new signing Matias Fernandez-Pardo were named on the bench.
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Bamba and Toure remained on the bench while Fernandez-Pardo came on to have a hand in the winner.
“You can sign as many players as you want, but you've got to go on the pitch and win games,” Wilson said following the summer transfer window. “We're happy where we're at, but we're not patting ourselves on the back or saying any more than that.
“We have to move forward bravely and strongly with our new coach, with our new players and with the players that were here before. So we're happy where we've got to, but lots of work still to be done to get the whole club to where we want to get it to.”
But perhaps the most interesting decision made by Matthias Jaissle wasn’t his team selection but the captain for the match in South London. With captain Dan Burn and vice-captain Joelinton injured, and third-choice skipper Malick Thiaw on the bench, Jaissle handed forward Yoane Wissa the captain’s armband for the first time as a Newcastle player.
Wissa was favoured over Murphy and Fabian Schar, both of whom have captained Newcastle in competitive matches in the past. Schar was also starting his first competitive match in nine months due to injury.
The Magpies have had no problem scoring so far this season with nine goals in their opening four matches. But they could only muster up half chances in the opening 45 minutes at The Den on Tuesday evening.
Despite Newcastle’s dominance in terms of possession in the first half, the sides went in at 0-0, and it was Millwall who started the second half the brighter.
After the Magpies struggled to clear the ball, Jenson Metcalfe hit a strike from outside the box which was travelling at pace but just sailed over the crossbar.
From there, the home side grew in confidence with Jake Cooper heading narrowly wide of the right post just before the hour mark.
The introductions of Fernandez-Pardo and Anthony Elanga for Wissa and Murphy heading into the closing stages offered something different for Newcastle in attack, though it wasn’t immediately felt. Things opened up well for Elanga after being played in by Barnes but the winger failed to get a shot away shortly after his introduction.
Fernandez-Pardo wasn’t getting much of a sniff but ultimately played a key role in Newcastle finding the winner inside the final 10 minutes. The Belgian played a smart pass to release Lewis Hall, whose low cross was turned in by Willock.