Newcastle United marked the beginning of head coach Matthias Jaissle's tenure with a spirited 2-1 victory against Valencia in a pre-season friendly held at Mestalla Stadium.

Filip Ugrinic opened the scoring for Valencia with a curling effort, putting the home side ahead early on. However, Yoane Wissa quickly equalised for Newcastle with a composed finish from close range. Wissa, who came on as a substitute, then secured the win by converting a chance set up by new signing Bazoumana Toure.

Player Ratings for Newcastle United:

• Lukas Hornicek: 7 - Comfortable in possession, made decent saves but needs better communication.
• Leo Shahar: 7 - Positively contributed to play, showcasing his potential at just 19.
• Malick Thiaw: 7 - Captained the team on his 25th birthday, showing leadership qualities.
• Sven Botman: 6 - Had a concerning moment but recovered well.
• Miodrag Pivas: 7 - Adapted well despite playing out of position at left-back.
• Aladji Bamba: 7 - Showed promise in his first match, though some passes went astray.
• Jacob Ramsey: 8 - Impressive with a stunning pass, consistently drove the team forward.
• Anthony Elanga: 7 - A bright presence until a poor challenge forced him off on a stretcher; the club remains hopeful about his injury.
• Nick Woltemade: 5 - Struggled to make an impact and needs to be more influential.
• William Osula: 6 - Came close to scoring and had a penalty shout turned down.
• Harvey Barnes: 6 - Showed effort but faces competition for his starting position.

This friendly served as a promising start for Jaissle and his squad as they prepare for the upcoming season.