Dan Burn’s thunderous header helps Newcastle to win over Athletic Bilbao

Dan Burn produced a header of brutal beauty as they eased to a 2-0 Champions League victory over Athletic Bilbao on a night when he had urged Newcastle to remember how to win ugly.

The 33-year-old defender powered home an unstoppable 11th-minute effort, with Joelinton adding a second after the break to wrap up a win against the injury-ravaged Spaniards and a third in succession in the competition to significantly improve their qualification hopes.

It was just the response head coach Eddie Howe was looking for after Sunday’s dismal 3-1 Premier League defeat at West Ham and, while the game was tight for long periods, the Magpies were ultimately worthy winners.

In an untidy start to the game during which both sides surrendered possession at regular intervals, the LaLiga outfit more than held their own.

Indeed, it was they who created the game’s first opportunity when Unai Gomez met Alex Berenguer’s corner unopposed but directed his header straight at goalkeeper Nick Pope.

The Magpies thought they had taken a ninth-minute lead when Joelinton ran on to Malick Thiaw’s ball forward, turned defender Dani Vivian and fired past keeper Unai Simon, only for a tight offside decision to go against him.

However, they did go in front two minutes later when the unmarked Burn met Kieran Trippier’s free-kick with a thunderous header which went in off the far post.

Bilbao continued to move the ball at pace, with Berenguer prominent down the left to keep Tripper and Thiaw on their toes and Pope had to block an 18th-minute Gomez shot with his leg after Alejandro Rego had made the most of Newcastle’s sloppiness in the middle of the field.

However, the keeper needed the help of his right post seconds later when, after a Berenguer corner had reached Adama Boiro on the edge of the box, he blasted a left-foot shot against the upright.

The home side were struggling to play through the visitors’ well co-ordinated press but they went close once again with 16 minutes of the first half remaining when Harvey Barnes crossed for Nick Woltemade, who directed his header wide of the far post.

Howe’s men became both more comfortable defensively and more fluent going forward as the half wore on and Joelinton was denied by Simon after running on to Burn’s 42nd-minute ball over the top and they went in at the break with just a single goal advantage.

However, the Brazilian made amends within four minutes of the restart when he headed firmly past Simon at his near post from Barnes’ cross after the wide-man’s initial shot had been blocked.

The Bilbao keeper gratefully plucked Sven Botman’s header out of the air after Burn had turned a Trippier corner back across goal and was relieved to see the England defender fire across goal after running on to a Guimaraes pass.

Any lingering anxiety had dissipated as the hosts assumed complete control and, although Pope twice had to save well from substitute Nico Serrano to preserve his clean sheet, they saw out time in relative comfort despite a late flurry.