Newcastle 0-1 Mainz 05: Magpies defeated by Bundesliga opponents in a peaceful encounter in Austria with Eddie Howe left sweating over Fabian Schar’s condition after Swiss defender limped away
Newcastle falls after defeat against Mainz in Austria in the strictest pre-season test so far
Club had won the previous two preseason meetings before joining Mainz . met
Magpies left sweating over Fabian Schar’s condition after he limped away
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Newcastle were beaten 1-0 by Bundesliga outfit Mainz 05 in a quiet encounter in Austria, completing preparations for the season in Central Europe before heading to Portugal.
As the club enters its first summer with the new Saudi-backed owners, optimism in the northeast is skyrocketing about the club’s fortunes this coming season.
The Magpies collided with Mainz, who finished eighth in the German top flight last season, after successive wins against Gateshead and 1860 Munich, with the preseason getting off to a promising start under manager Eddie Howe.
Newcastle were beaten 1-0 by Mainz 05 in what may have been their toughest pre-season test yet
Such victories had only added to the excitement on Tyneside of what could be this season, and the Mainz showdown offered the club an early chance to see where they stood for their domestic season which kicked off on August 6.
Howe’s side, however, were somewhat brought back to earth after two extended results ahead of this encounter by Delano Burgzorg’s second-half strike which sent Newcastle to their first defeat of pre-season.
Significantly, the goal came seconds after centre-back Fabian Schar had to withdraw after he was pulled up. He was replaced by Dan Burn and Newcastle fans will be sweating the fitness of their Swiss defender with just weeks to go until the Premier League season starts again.
The sweltering heat in the Austrian Alps made it a tough encounter for both sides
All notable moments, therefore, came at the center of defense for Newcastle with Sven Botman, the club’s most notable summer signing to date, making his first start for the club.
It is likely he will line up alongside Schar next season, with the partnership expected to provide Newcastle the foundation to secure a higher ranking under Howe in the coming campaign.
Starting with a side featuring some of the club’s established first-team stars, Howe tried to pressure their German opponents from the start. Midfield Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff provide Howe’s side with an abundance of energy in the center of the park and it showed at the Kufstein Arena on Monday afternoon.
Manager Eddie Howe sent a strong lineup with some established starters in the first team
However, that early pressure failed to materialize and Mainz slowly began to gain a foothold in the game. A free kick from Anton Stach made Martin Dubravka climb and the Slovak did well to keep the Bundesliga at bay.
Joelinton, who came to embody the revolution under Howe and the new Saudi-backed owners in the second half of the season, came close with great difficulty.
Nevertheless, after Schar went down with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and Mainz doubled the pain for Newcastle, Howe’s side toiled but struggled in the game.
With games still ahead of the season against Benfica, Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao, Newcastle know there is still work to be done leading up to their opening 2022-23 game with Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle will sweat over central defender Fabian Schar’s fitness after he was injured with a suspected hamstring injury