Local lad Dan Burn was once again Newcastle’s hero when it mattered most as the Magpies beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Dan Burn, born in nearby Blyth, always seems to come up with the goods on the big stage. His bullet header for Newcastle vs Liverpool in March’s Carabao Cup final set them on their way to a first major trophy for 70 years.
Meanwhile, Burn’s gutsy goal vs Paris Saint-Germain just over two years ago recorded a first Champions League win in two decades for the Magpies.
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Eddie Howe knows he can trust the giant defender and his wonder header against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday has just embarrassed former star Alexander Isak.
Newcastle star Dan Burn after their win in the Carabao Cup over Tottenham
Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images
Dan Burn is showing Alexander Isak up in the Champions League for Newcastle
Kieran Trippier’s deep ball into the box saw Burn unmarked, though he was a fair distance away from goal.
However, he managed to steer a header beyond a helpless Unai Simon in what has been dubbed as one of the best headers in history.
It’s a tactic that Newcastle have employed plenty in the Champions League, with Burn being everywhere and causing Benfica real mayhem two weeks ago.
And Burn scoring his second Champions League goal after his strike against PSG two years ago means he’s now moved ahead of Alexander Isak in terms of goals scored in the competition.
Isak’s only goal also came against PSG, albeit in a 1-1 draw in France, and he failed to score for Newcastle in the rest of the 2023-24 competition.
After a slow start this season, the Swede has yet to score for Liverpool in Europe. And despite Isak moving to Liverpool for a British record £125million, he has now been overtaken by the £11million giant for his output going forward on the continent.
Liverpool star Alexander Isak playing in the Champions League
Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Dan Burn’s header is up there with the best you’ll ever see
It’s easy to understate just how good Dan Burn’s header actually was.
From such a wide angle, the ability to steer that into the corner with the amount of swerve it had on it is remarkable.
It bears similarities to his goal against Liverpool in the cup final earlier this year, but this one is better due to the distance.
Burn may have been overshadowed by Tottenham star Micky van de Ven’s mazy wondergoal earlier in the week, but it’s an equally incredible finish that deserves all the plaudits it gets.
The win now puts Newcastle on nine points from 12 in the league phase table, with no goals conceded in their previous three Champions League games.