Anthony Gordon netted a pair of penalties as Newcastle United cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday, securing their first points in the Champions League group stage.
Nick Woltemade opened the scoring in Brussels, flicking in Sandro Tonali’s shot to put the visitors ahead early. Gordon then converted from the spot either side of half-time on a dominant night for Eddie Howe’s side. Substitute Harvey Barnes added a late fourth to seal a much-needed response after recent setbacks against Arsenal and Barcelona.
The match also marked the first start for Newcastle’s two most expensive summer signings — Woltemade and Anthony Elanga — who lined up alongside Gordon as the club begins a new chapter following Alexander Isak’s high-profile move to Liverpool.
Woltemade continued his strong start since joining from Stuttgart for a club-record £69 million ($92 million), registering his third goal by deflecting Tonali’s volley past Union goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen in the 17th minute.
Newcastle doubled their lead just before the break after Elanga was brought down by Fedde Leysen inside the box. Gordon calmly dispatched the resulting penalty at Anderlecht’s Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, where Union are playing home matches due to their own ground not meeting UEFA requirements.
Elanga continued to impress after the restart, forcing a save from Scherpen, before the hosts briefly rallied. Nick Pope was called into action to deny Adem Zorgane and Ousseynou Niang, while Anan Khalaili fired just wide during Union’s brightest spell.
However, the contest was effectively settled when VAR awarded Newcastle a second penalty for a handball by Kamiel Van de Perre. Gordon stepped up again to make it 3-0 with another clinical finish from the spot.
Union, who stunned PSV Eindhoven 3-1 on their Champions League debut last month, saw their 10-match unbeaten run come to an abrupt end. Barnes capped a ruthless Newcastle performance with a cool finish on the break 10 minutes from time.
