Newcastle United vs Everton: Pre-Season Friendly at Murrayfield
Newcastle United swap the summer heat of Spain for the Edinburgh breeze on Wednesday, as Matthias Jaissle’s side face Everton at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in another key step towards the new Premier League season.
It’s their fourth public friendly of the summer and comes on the back of a 2-1 win over Valencia at Mestalla, a result that offered more than just a scoreline. Three more games remain — including this one — before the curtain-raiser against Liverpool on August 23. The clock is ticking now.
Jaissle’s second look at his new squad
This will be Jaissle’s second game in charge, and the German head coach is still in assessment mode. The priority is clear: performance, sharpness, and how quickly his ideas are taking root.
He is expected to tinker with the XI that started in Spain. This stage of pre-season is about combinations, not comfort zones. Places are still there to be claimed.
Yoane Wissa has already made his case. The forward struck both goals in the win over Valencia and is pushing hard to nail down a spot in what looks like Jaissle’s first-choice group. Another strong display here, against Premier League opposition, would only strengthen his hand.
Anthony Elanga will not be involved. The winger picked up an injury against Valencia and is set to miss out, a frustration for both player and coach just as the new regime begins to take shape.
Premier League opposition, proper examination
Friendlies rarely tell the full story, but facing another Premier League side always sharpens the edges. Everton arrive in Edinburgh with more minutes in their legs, having already played five preseason fixtures.
They make the trip north after a 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart, a reminder that David Moyes is juggling his own issues and experiments as he moulds his squad for the competitive campaign. Both managers will see this as a useful barometer: not a must-win, but certainly a must-learn.
The setting adds a twist. Murrayfield, more used to rucks and rolling mauls, becomes the stage for two English top-flight clubs feeling out their form, their fitness, and their flaws.
Newcastle’s supporters will travel with familiar anticipation, less concerned with the scoreline than with the signs: pressing intensity, defensive cohesion, attacking patterns, and whether Jaissle’s blueprint is starting to show in real time.
Soon, the luxury of experimenting disappears. Nights like this, in Edinburgh, decide who hits the ground running when Liverpool come calling.
