Eddie Howe hopes Newcastle can banish travel sickness on mission to Marseille

Newcastle fans are travelling to Marseille with a soundtrack of uncertainty echoing in their ears. Quite apart from the official warnings about rampant pickpocketing, street crime and potential football‑related violence, their phones seem full of concerned messages from families and friends. Those oft-repeated exhortations to variously “take care”, “watch yourself” and “stay safe” in a city listed regularly among Europe’s most dangerous could, in a different context, easily apply to Eddie Howe’s team. Related: Harvey Barnes double helps Newcastle derail Manchester City revival Although Newcastle arrived in the south of France on Monday fresh from their restorative 2-1 home Premier League win against Manchester City on Saturday, and having beaten Union Saint-Gilloise, Benfica and Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League, their sole away victory since early April came in Brussels at Union SG. Not that Howe was overly keen to discuss the psychological aspect of this travel sickness. “The Champions League is different to Premier League games,” said a manager whose team are sixth in the European table, with nine points from a possible 12 and automatic progression to the knockout phase almost within touching distance. “I don’t know if you can compare them.” Perhaps not, but he and Newcastle’s players will, intriguingly, renew acquaintance here with a raft of faces familiar from past English encounters. If the Marseille manager, Roberto De Zerbi, once of Brighton, needs no introduction, nor does Mason Greenwood. The former Manchester United and England forward departed the UK last year under a well‑documented cloud. He had faced charges, which he denied, of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February 2023 that the case had been discontinued. Greenwood is Ligue 1’s leading scorer in an attack also featuring the Arsenal old boy Pierre‑Emerick Aubameyang. “Greenwood is a very clever attacker from the wide right for Marseille,” Howe said. “He’s not just a goalscorer, he’s also a goal creator. They use him in a clever way – he does his most dangerous work when he drifts infield. He combines well with the players around him and he’s got a lovely left foot. We’ll have to defend well down that side of the pitch. I’d say it’s a big area for Marseille to attack.” Meanwhile Aubameyang’s penalty-area reflexes still look razor sharp. “We’ve said that, having watched Marseille a lot in the buildup to the game, Aubameyang’s as good as ever,” Howe said. “That’s a big compliment to him at 36. He’s very athletic, still running in behind, still stretching backlines, still getting away from defenders when he’s in those one-v-one situations and a lethal finisher as well. His goal record here has been very good. He’s another player we have to control well.” De Zerbi’s midfield includes the England midfielder Angel Gomes, who played alongside Greenwood at Manchester United’s academy, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, formerly of Southampton and Tottenham. Further back are the former Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley and De Zerbi’s captain, the Argentina centre-half Leonardo Balerdi. Howe gave serious consideration to signing Balerdi in the summer, before buying the hugely impressive Malick Thiaw from Milan. Although Marseille’s form in the Champions League has been mixed and their hopes of reaching the knockout phase for the first time since 2011-12 remain in the balance, De Zerbi’s side sit second in Ligue 1, two points adrift of the leaders, Paris Saint-Germain. If Newcastle were buoyed by that victory against City at St James’ Park, Marseille will be boosted by the 5-1 triumph at Nice last Friday. The Stade Vélodrome – or the Orange Vélodrome as it is known these days – invariably offers to redefine the term “hostile venue” but part of the south stand will be closed. That is part of the punishment that Marseille, who were also heavily fined, received after their supporters threw flares and projectiles at Atalanta fans and used lasers during a recent 1-0 home Champions League defeat. In late September fears of violence prompted France’s interior ministry to bar Ajax fans from the Stade Vélodrome before the Dutch side’s 4-0 defeat. Although Newcastle supporters were permitted to travel they are subject to strict policing that includes a ban on wearing club colours and avoiding the city’s popular Old Port area. If those supporters may, for once, benefit from turning anonymous, Howe hopes his players will display what he believes are their true colours. “Lack of consistency has been a problem,” he said. “We’ve played well in one-off games but we’re looking to recapture the feeling you have when you know you are going to perform well. “We had that for a long time but, for the first time since I’ve been Newcastle manager, we don’t know how we’re going to play. We have to build our confidence to be able to do that and these games will be the acid test for us. Marseille will be really tough but we think we can rise to the challenge. “We have a lot of questions we have to answer of ourselves over the next two games – here at Marseille and at Everton on Saturday.”