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Young Magpies beaten by Villarreal in Al Abtal Friendly Games
Newcastle United's Academy ended their Al Abtal Friendly Games campaign with a 3-0 defeat against their Villarreal counterparts in Salou on Wednesday.
A Magpies squad featuring players from under-16 to under-19 age categories have participated in the Al Abtal Friendly Games series alongside Villarreal (Spain), PAOK FC (Greece), Austria Vienna (Austria) and two Saudi Arabian national teams - Saudi Green Falcons and Saudi White Falcons.
Newcastle's youngsters, situated in third place of Group C on nine points, were aiming to leapfrog their Spanish opponents with a victory in the Tarragona province and secure qualification into the quarter-final stages.
Despite a goalless first-half against the Yellow Submarine, though, three second-half strikes from the Spanish outfit condemned Newcastle to defeat.
Friendly matches have been held in Spain and the UK between November 2022 and March 2023, with the Academy playing a total of five games, three taking place in Spain and two on Tyneside.
Newcastle United Academy Starting XI: Max Thompson, Rory Powell, Ciaran Thompson, Alex Murphy, Jordan Hackett, Jamie Miley, Ellis Stanton, Scott Bailey, Shaun Mavididi, James Huntley (c), Josh Donaldson.