Newcastle United won 2-1 against Valencia in a pre-season friendly on August 8 at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium, marking Matthias Jaissle's first match as Newcastle head coach [1, 2, 3].
Valencia took an early lead when Filip Ugrinic scored inside four minutes, but Newcastle rallied through two second-half goals by Yoane Wissa, who came off the bench to secure the win [1, 2, 3].
The match featured a serious moment when Newcastle's Anthony Elanga was stretchered off following a harsh tackle by Valencia defender Jose Gaya, who received a red card. Elanga later revealed he had a bruised shin but no serious injury and was able to walk after the incident [1, 2, 3]. Jaissle said about Elanga's condition: "I was in fear, definitely, but now I'm more relaxed as the medical department is showing almost green lights, and there's nothing serious" [2].
Jaissle was appointed Newcastle manager just three days earlier, on August 5, succeeding Eddie Howe [2, 3]. Newcastle is in a period of transition after losing key players including Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Anthony Gordon [1, 2, 3].
Jaissle emphasized youth development, starting new players Lukas Hornicek, Aladji Bamba, Bazoumana Toure, and giving minutes to Sean Steur off the bench. Veteran winger Harvey Barnes, 28, was the oldest starter [1, 2, 3]. On the team's progress, Jaissle said, "It was a friendly today. We will not smash the locker room now and celebrate a lot. We're quite balanced. We know what it is about. Now it's pre-season, and we're still looking to work on it. It's just a journey" [2].
Jaissle added, "Time is the key. They're young lads. It's never going to be easy in football, especially at the highest level, but we're here to help them" [2].
Newcastle will open their 2026-27 Premier League season against Liverpool on August 23 [2, 3].
