Atletico Madrid triumphs in a surprise victory during their trip to Newcastle
Atlético Madrid Secures Preseason Victory Against Newcastle United
Atlético Madrid concluded their preseason preparations on a high note, defeating Newcastle United 2-0 in a friendly match held at St. James' Park on August 11, 2025. The victory marked Atlético's first preseason win before the La Liga season commenced.
The first goal of the match was scored by Julián Álvarez, demonstrating impressive counter-attacking play. Antoine Griezmann added a second goal to confirm the win, highlighting Atlético's better efficiency and finishing compared to their earlier stalemate.
In the earlier Sela Cup match on August 9, both teams ended the game in a goalless draw, showcasing tactical experiments and player integrations for both clubs. However, the 2-0 victory provided a positive finale to Atlético's preseason.
Key highlights of the match included Johnny Cardoso slipping between Newcastle's poorly positioned defenders to score easily, and Kieran Trippier, a former Atlético player, making several runs on the right wing for Newcastle United. Jan Oblak saved a direct free-kick taken by Trippier for Atlético Madrid.
Anthony Elanga stood out for Newcastle United with runs down his side against Matteo Ruggeri. Giuliano Simeone had a dangerous chance for Newcastle United with a low, crossed shot. A powerful shot by Taufik Seidu was saved by Nick Pope in the 84th minute, but Newcastle still has much to improve upon ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season, including their participation in the Champions League.
In another preseason game, Atlético Femenino secured a 0-2 victory over Newcastle. Marcos Llorente started as a right-back for Atlético Madrid in the match. David Hancko had a chance for Atlético Madrid in the 4th minute, but his shot went wide. Joelinton had multiple headers for Newcastle United, but none of them resulted in a goal.
Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions persisted as Russia urged the US not to destabilize the South Caucasus following the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Iran expressed concern over a possible "foreign intervention" following the same agreement. Trump predicts a land swap between Ukraine and Russia in a future peace deal.
Diego Pablo Simeone substituted all his players in the 60th minute, and the substitute unit quickly responded with a goal. Álvarez scored Atlético Madrid's second goal in the 60th minute, assisted by Alexander Sorloth and Antoine Griezmann in another counter-attack. Griezmann scored the 0-2 goal for Atlético Madrid, assisted by Sorloth earlier in the match.
This win allows Atlético to begin their La Liga campaign with confidence, while Newcastle is still searching for consistency and goal-scoring solutions, particularly in the absence of Alexander Isak.
The European-leagues premier-league team, Atlético Madrid, showcased their football skills in a preseason match against Newcastle United, securing a 2-0 victory on August 11, 2025, before the La Liga season commenced. Julian Álvarez and Antoine Griezmann scored the goals, demonstrating Atlético's efficiency and finishing.
