Questions had been asked of this Newcastle side after a limp defeat to West Ham United at the weekend, and a big UCL night on Tyneside presented an ideal opportunity for the Magpies to quickly bounce back.
They made a fast start here via an unlikely source, as Dan Burn ghosted into the box unmarked and ran onto Kieran Trippier’s free-kick, guiding a superb header past a motionless Unai Simón.
Eddie Howe’s side would have hoped to quickly build on that early opener, but their Basque visitors were in no mood to roll over. Unai Gómez and Adama Boiro both hit the woodwork in response, with the latter inches away from scoring with a thunderous left-footed strike.
However, Athletic looked susceptible to the hosts’ aerial threat, and Nick Woltemade should have taken a leaf out of Burn’s book after heading wide from Harvey Barnes’ cross.
Predictably, Newcastle’s second did come via another header – this time from Joelinton. The Brazilian met a floating ball from Barnes, which he clinically converted from close range, giving the Magpies breathing room.
That goal seemed to kick the stuffing out of a Leones side that had lost their first-half threat, with Howe’s men seemingly coasting towards a fifth straight home win across all competitions.
It was, therefore, somewhat of a surprise when Nico Serrano unleashed a long-range strike out of nowhere, which forced Nick Pope into a fine save down to his right-hand side.
There was to be no grandstand finish here, though, as Newcastle secured a third win in their opening four UCL league phase matches and looked in good shape to progress into the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Ernesto Valverde’s side have endured a tough start to their campaign in Europe’s premier cup competition, with three defeats from four games played. Their record on the road is particularly troubling, having now lost five of their previous six European away games (D1).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Joelinton (Newcastle United)