Newcastle United march on in the Champions League with an impressive win over Athletic Bilbao, and Nick Woltemade has earned high praise for his role in the victory.
A stunning header from Dan Burn got Newcastle United off to a great start at St. James’ Park before Joelinton added a second just after half-time to secure another big three points for the Magpies.
That win lifts Eddie Howe’s side up to sixth place in the Champions League table after gameweek four, and it was a very solid, confident display from Newcastle.
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Nick Woltemade may not have been on the scoresheet on the night, but the German striker made a huge impact once again. Indeed, the wave of praise for Woltemade continues, and now one pundit has pinpointed how the forward combats his biggest weakness.
Nick Woltemade celebrates scoring against Wolves
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Stephen Warnock praises Nick Woltemade
Discussing Woltemade’s performance against Bilbao on Match of the Day, Stephen Warnock highlighted what the Newcastle man offers on the pitch, and how he makes up for his lack of speed.
Warnock said: “Nick Woltemade has stood out for me so far, with such good link-up play – he is involved in most of the good things Newcastle have done.
“He is showing us what an intelligent player he is. He is not the quickest, but he chooses his moments so well to make his runs or come looking for the ball.”
Statistics Nick Woltemade vs Athletic Bilbao
Touches 31
Shots 1
Pass success 75%
Dribble success 66%
Fouled 2
Duels won 6
Recoveries 2
Data via SofaScore
During the game, Woltemade missed one headed opportunity, completed two successful dribbles, was fouled twice, and won six duels.
Away from the statistics, the way he connected with the likes of Joelinton, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, and Harvey Barnes was impeccable. He’s proving time and time again that he’s a striker who’s not afraid to do the dirty work and put in the hard yards to benefit the team.
Liverpool star Alexander Isak playing in the Champions League
Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Newcastle United won the hunt for a striker this summer
Newcastle fans are already loving Woltemade, who is fast becoming an icon at St. James’ Park after his summer move.
It probably helps that Woltemade has hit the ground running after coming in during a difficult time for the Magpies, in a transfer window where they lost their star man, Alexander Isak.
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Poll: Who signed the best striker this summer?
A number of top clubs were looking for a new striker during the summer window, with the likes of Arsenal, Man United, and Chelsea making big moves.
While Arsenal fans can’t decide if Viktor Gyokeres was the right signing, and Benjamin Sesko slowly finds his feet at Old Trafford, Woltemade has been an instant success.
It looked like a disastrous time for Newcastle to lose Isak in the way they did, but they clearly didn’t need to worry at all.