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Al-Hilal 0-5 Newcastle: Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and young Dylan Stephenson combine to score FIVE as Eddie Howe’s side go on a rampage in a mid-season friendly against Saudi Arabia
- Newcastle began their string of mid-season friendlies with a win on Thursday
- Eddie Howe beat Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia 5-0 at their home stadium
- Brazilian star Joelinton scored a brace in the first half for the visitors on the night
- In-form winger Miguel Almiron then scored twice in the second half.
- The young Dylan Stephenson entered the scoreboard in the last moments
Joelinton and Miguel Almiron scoring goals for fun and Loris Karius pulling off marvelous saves – now there’s a sentence you wouldn’t have expected to read a few years ago.
This was Karius’s first appearance for an English club since the 2018 Champions League final with Liverpool, when his mistakes led to two goals in a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid.
The German resurfaced in September as emergency cover for Nick Pope and this, a 5-0 win over Saudi champions Al-Hilal, was his first start for a senior side in 22 months. He certainly didn’t look rusty. It was more like rush hour traffic here in Riyadh: impassable.
Brazilian star Joelinton scored a brace during Newcastle’s mid-season friendly win
Miguel Almiron also scored twice in the Premier League team’s victory in Saudi Arabia.
Eddie Howe wears a casual look while watching training at the Al-Hilal training center
Jacob Murphy lifts the Diriyah Season Cup after Newcastle’s emphatic win on Thursday
Indeed, in 45 minutes on the pitch Karius made three noteworthy saves. The latest of these was denying Odion Ighalo, another Premier League name of yesteryear. That save was an instinctive hold on the goal line after the former Manchester United striker hooked on goal from just 10 feet.
Eddie Howe would like to keep Karius at St James’ Park beyond January (the head coach believes he has improved during his time at the club) and, as he is still only 29, it would seem like a smart move.
Efforts from Karius, a brace for Joelinton and Almiron and a late Dylan Stephenson goal ensured what turned out to be an easy win at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium in the Saudi capital, where Newcastle spent the last week training ahead of their return to national action. .
They were even presented with a trophy amidst fireworks, streamers, and ticker tape at the end. Even the World Cup winners across the border in Qatar may not enjoy this splendor.
Young Dylan Stephenson with the ball during one of Newcastle’s training sessions
The Magpies team poses as they prepare for the mid-season on Sunday afternoon.
But a word about Joelinton and Almrion. Neither player enjoyed the easier of starts after club record arrivals but, with Howe, they appear to be worth every penny and more than the combined £60m it took to get them to Tyneside.
Joelinton scored twice before half time, the first a header from a Jacob Murphy cross before ending up between the goalkeeper’s legs after running into a Joe Willock pass.
One concern for Howe was the injury to Chris Wood, which forced the forward to retire before half-time. With Almiron in this scoring form, however, he is less of a concern. He arrived in the second half and produced two magnificent finishes – a precision shot into the bottom corner and a side-footed volley – before the teenager Stephenson converted at the far post with his opening goal for the city club. birthplace of him
Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was in attendance, sitting next to co-owner Amanda Staveley. Your first piece of January business? Well, that should probably be a contract extension for Karius.
Loris Karius has looked impressive in the few opportunities he has had with Newcastle