17 mins Exposito
shot
0-1
21 mins Matt
Targett header Gallowgate End, followed by a revival of the "ball up the
shirt / thumb sucking" combination celebration. As one social media wag
noted, his bairn is now aged eight... 1-1

(37 mins Paudo penalty saved by Ramsdale)
Half time: Newcastle 1 Espanyol 1
79 mins Jacob
Murphy shot at Leazes End
2-1
89 mins Garcia
header 2-2
Full time: Newcastle 2
Espanyol 2
Eddie
Howe said:
On the absent Alexander Isak:
"The situation is unchanged. Me and
Alex have had a conversation and it's clear at the moment I can’t involve him
in the group.
"I don’t know when that will change: it's frustrating we're missing such
an important part of the team.
"He is training later than the rest of the squad. There have been
discussions since the tour. I don’t think disciplinary action has happened.
"He is here, so of course he has a future at Newcastle. From our
perspective, we would love to have him back with the team, but the situation has
to be right for that to happen.
"He’s fit, he doesn’t have a fitness issue, I'm aware of a felling
within the squad that there's something not there to the benefit of the group.
"I’d rather leave it with
that line. Discussions between us must remain private but it’s clear that I
can’t involve him with the team at the moment.
"I want Alex to be playing today - I want him to be training tomorrow. We
would love the player to be with us.
"Let me make that absolutely clear,
there is no part of me that doesn’t want that outcome. But I don’t see that (absence)
changing before Aston Villa.”
On whether the club could block his sale:
"I don’t think it’s that straightforward, otherwise we’d have done
that a long time ago. I don’t think we’re in a position to do that
currently."
On transfers:
"We're still looking. We're active and we'll be active until we have the
squad we want - and that isn't the case, clearly, at the moment with gaps to
fill.
"We're focused on a number of positions and a number of players. We're
still working incredibly hard to add (to the squad). I think we're one of a
number of teams who have found it difficult to bring in the right players."
On PIF etc:
"The owners are very much engaged,
as much as they always have been.
"This has been a challenging period
where there’ll be a lot of different opinions on different subjects, but can
assure everybody connected with Newcastle that the owners are very much behind
the project and fighting every day for the club.”
On Martin Dubravka, who completed a permanent move to Burnley days earlier:
"Absolutely brilliant for me - a pleasure to coach and work with. His
journey at Newcastle was a great story. We thank him for all he's done for the
club and he leaves with his head held high, knowing he did a great job for
us."
Manolo Gonzalez said:
nothing that we've found as yet.
Recent comments from substitute goalkeeper Angelo Fortuno, promoted from the
reserves:
"I'd rather go to Jupiter than play for Barca".
There was a
Magpies debut for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and a home bow for Korean
teenager Seung-soo Park.
Ramsdale became the sixth goalkeeper to get senior team pitch time in
pre-season, after messrs Pope, Dubravka, Ruddy, Gillespie and Thompson.
Vlachodimos hasn't been called upon and wasn't present for this game, reportedly
having travelled to Spain to seal a loan move to Seville.
Ramsdale's previous visits to SJP:
Nov 2019 With Bournemouth, NUFC won 2-1
May 2021 With Sheffield United, NUFC won 1-0
May 2022 With Arsenal, NUFC won 2-0
May 2023 With Arsenal, NUFC lost 0-2
Matt Targett scored for the first time as a Newcastle player in any level of
senior football.
Jacob Murphy netted his third goal in pre-season, continuing his liking
for scoring in kickabouts continues - this his fourteenth senior non-competitive
strike. He's amassed 21 that mattered.
This was Newcastle's third-ever meeting with the side from Barcelona, all
friendlies:
May 1960 won 5-2 @ Estadi de Sarria
Aug 2000 lost 1-2 @ Montjuic Stadium
Aug 2025 drew 2-2 @ SJP
Pre-season pitch time (in minutes):
Ashby 45+0+20+18+0+0=83
Barnes 45+45+45+0+82+0=217 +1 goal
Botman 45+45+25+0+0+0=115
Burn 0+45+45+0+90+90=270
Dubravka 0+45=45
Elanga 0+45+45+90+8+0=143 + 1 goal
Gillespie 0+0+0+0+8+0=8
Gordon 0+45+45+90+62+0=197
Guimaraes 0+45+45+0+90+90=270
Hall 0+0+0+0+13+45=58
Al.Harrison 0+0+0+1+0+45=46
Hernes 45+14+0+13+3+0=75
Joelinton 45+0+45+0+87+0=177 +1 goal
Krafth 0+45+45+72+8+90=260
Lascelles 45+45+45+90+0+0=225
Livramento 0+0+45+90+28+0=163
S.Longstaff 45=45 +1 goal
L.Miley 45+76+45+90+90+90=436
Munda 0+0+0+0+0+0=0
A.Murphy 45+45+45+90+0+0=225
J.Murphy 45+45+45+0+77+90=3-2 +3 goals
Neave 45+14+17+0+0+27=103
Osula 45+76+73+82+28+90=394
Parkinson 45=45 +1 goal
Pope 45+45+45+72+82+0=289
Ramsdale 90=90
Ruddy 45+0+17+0+0+0=62
Schar 45+45+45+0+82+90=307
Seung-soo 0+8+13+63=84
Shahar 45+0=45
Sanusi 45+0=45
Targett 45+45+45+0+62+90=287 +1 goal
M.Thompson 0+0+0+18+0+0=18
Tonali 0+45+45+77+0+0=167
Trippier 45+45+45+0+77+0=212
Vlachodimos
0+0+0+0+0+0=0
White 45+45=90
Willock 45+45+45+90+0+0=225
|
Waffle |

Newcastle played their second successive draw of pre-season on Friday night,
thanks to efforts from Matt Targett
and Jacob Murphy plus a penalty save from debutant goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
The Magpies lined up in their blue third kit with Ramsdale making his bow and
Seung-soo Park gaining his first experience of playing on Tyneside.
Ramsdale was beaten in the 17th minute by a 25 yard blockbuster from Edu
Exposito, but the hosts trailed only briefly before Lewis Miley's smart centre
to the back post was nodded home by Targett.
Local referee Michael Oliver pointed to the penalty spot in the 37th minute
after Targett was harshly adjudged to have impeded Exposito when a cross flew
across the area.
Up stepped visiting captain Paudo - who had beaten Ramsdale from 12 yards
earlier in pre-season, as his previous club Southampton faced Espanyol in a
kickabout.
The ''keeper had gone right that time and conceded, but went the same away again
and successfully blocked Paudo's penalty kick this time.
The only interval change saw Lewis Hall fail to appear in a planned substitution
aimed at easing him back into action following his prolonged absence. The
arrival of Alfie Harrison saw Targett return to a more familiar left back role
after his unexpected 45 minutes in midfield.
Newcastle came close to going ahead through Fabian Schar and William Osula
before a failed attempt at playing out from the back gave Jacob Murphy a simple
finish.
That looked to be enough for Eddie Howe's side to claim victory as the Catalans
made continual changes, but a rare excursion upfield in the closing seconds
ended with veteran Enrique Garcia glancing home Pere Milla's cross for 2-2.
Of the new boys, Ramsdale was noticeably more confident receiving the ball at
his feet than rival Nick Pope, while Park showed no lack of eagerness in the
hour he was given on the left, leaving amid warm applause from the crowd.
Lewis Miley also once again caught the eye; the 19 year-old United's most
frequently used player in pre-season and creating one goal before working his
way back to a similar post and coming close to repeating the feat.
Biffa