Newcastle United continued their pre-season preparations with a hard-fought 1-0 win against RB Leipzig in Austria, thanks to a first-half strike from Swedish forward Alexander Isak.
The Magpies' record signing made the difference against his former employers, slotting home confidently in the 26th minute after being played through by Bruno Guimarães. Eddie Howe's side showed defensive resilience to maintain their lead against last season's Bundesliga runners-up.
Isak Haunts Former Club
The 23-year-old striker, who spent two seasons with Leipzig between 2017-2019, demonstrated his clinical finishing against familiar opposition. Isak's composed finish past Janis Blaswich proved the difference in an otherwise evenly-matched contest.
Defensive Solidity Pleases Howe
Newcastle's backline, marshalled by Sven Botman and Fabian Schär, held firm against Leipzig's attacking threats including Benjamin Šeško and Dani Olmo. Nick Pope made several crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet as the German side pushed for an equaliser after the break.
The victory provides another confidence boost for Newcastle ahead of their Premier League opener against Aston Villa on August 12. Howe will be particularly encouraged by his team's defensive organisation against high-quality opposition.
Pre-Season Progress
This result follows Newcastle's 3-2 comeback win against Gateshead and 2-1 victory over Rangers in their other pre-season outings. The Magpies face Fiorentina and Villarreal in their final warm-up matches before the new campaign.
For Leipzig, this was their first pre-season defeat after victories over Rot-Weiss Erfurt and Young Boys. Marco Rose's side continue their preparations against St. Gallen before their German Super Cup clash with Bayern Munich on August 12.
