Newcastle United beat Stade Brestois 1-0 at St James’ Park to win the Sela Cup - here are the player ratings from the match.
Eddie Howe made 11 changes to the side that beat Girona 4-0 on Friday evening with Kieran Trippier, Martin Dubravka and new signing Will Osula making their first appearances of pre-season.
Osula hit an early opportunity at the Brest goalkeeper after breaking down the right before Harvey Barnes put the hosts in front after quarter-of-an-hour. The winger cut inside from the left and curled the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Osula thought he’d doubled Newcastle’s lead in the first half but was denied by the offside flag.
Brest then had chances to find an equaliser but were denied twice by Dubravka in the Newcastle goal. The Magpies held on to their 1-0 lead heading in at half-time.
Newcastle struggled to create any further chances in the second half but they were able to keep Brest at bay and retain the Sela Cup ahead of the new season. Eddie Howe’s side open the 2024-25 Premier League campaign against Southampton on Saturday, August 17 at St James’ Park (3pm kick-off).
Here are the Newcastle United player ratings from the match...
1. Martin Dubravka - 7
Made a couple of good saves to keep Brest at bay in the first half before being withdrawn. A solid 45 minutes in what could be his farewell appearance at St James' Park. | Getty Images
2. Kieran Trippier - 7
Put in some dangerous crosses from the right. One was headed over by Bruno Guimaraes and another one was turned over the crossbar by a Brest defender. Volleyed wide of the right post in the second half. Photo: George Wood
3. Fabian Schar - 7
Played a couple of good passes forward as he geared up for the new season. Rarely troubled and was strong in the air before being forced off in the closing stages. | Getty Images
4. Lloyd Kelly - 6
Played a good ball forward to release Barnes down the left for the opening goal. Looked comfortable on the ball and given Eddie Howe some food for thought when it comes to selecting his starting centre-backs next weekend. | Getty Images