Newcastle United end on level terms with Cardiff City

Newcastle United dropped two crucial points in South Wales as their match against Cardiff City finished 0-0.

Newcastle United were an optimistic side heading into this match after their good form against Tottenham last weekend, but that positivity quickly faded. Cardiff City proved to be more competitive than expected, and the fact that Newcastle went down to ten men after 66 minutes only made matters worse. Newcastle’s poor form and Cardiff City’s lack of precision led to a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes of play.

Newcastle started this match with a 4-4-1-1 formation and five of the seven new signings were on the bench for a second straight week. Rafa Benitez will have some tactical decisions to make this week as his side did not showcase the quality he was expecting against an inferior opponent.

First Half

As expected, the first 45 minutes in this clash consisted of several duels in midfield. Surprisingly, it was Cardiff City that dominated most of the action in the first half. Newcastle had more threatening chances, but it was Neil Warnock’s side that dictated the flow of the match.

Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez played well for the Magpies as Shelvey constantly sought out his frontmen with aerial crosses and Perez almost scored twice from close range. The defensive unit did enough to maintain a clean sheet at the half, but Javier Manquillo struggled with the pace of Josh Murphy on the wing.

The atmosphere at the Cardiff City Stadium did not necessarily bother Newcastle in the first half, but Rafa Benitez’s men could not develop a passing rhythm. The Magpies maintained 50 percent of the possession and completed 165 passes in 45 minutes, but only a handful were meaningful.

Joselu was essentially nonexistent in the first half against Cardiff City and it will be interesting to see if Benitez finally replaces the Spaniard going forward. Salomon Rondon and Yoshinori Muto would have been better options up top to start this match.

Second Half

Newcastle lacked sufficient urgency in the second half as they spent most of their time chasing the ball in their own half. Isaac Hayden came on for Javier Manquillo in the 45th minute, but departed the match 20 minutes later with a red card.

Newcastle’s vulnerability in the back after going down to ten men opened the door for Cardiff City to attack. The Bluebirds did their best to threaten Martin Dubravka in goal, but the Top Flight newcomers lacked the quality to execute properly.

The final stages of the match saw Newcastle come to life despite playing with a disadvantage. The Magpies looked more fluid offensively with Muto in as the attacking midfielder and they looked more dangerous through two corner kicks and a free-kick.

The 95th minute of the match saw Cardiff City make a key mistake with a hand ball in the penalty area, but it was Kenedy who missed the golden opportunity from the spot. In the end, that miss was costly for Newcastle as they head back to Tyneside with one point.

Final Note

Newcastle are officially in trouble. This was a match that Newcastle needed to win as they prepare for a difficult string of matches against elite opponents. Cardiff City will be pleased with their first point in Premier League action, but Newcastle will be disappointed.

On one end, after going down to ten men in the second half, this 0-0 result can be perceived as a positive result. However, seeing that this draw came against the weakest side in the Premier League is what will leave Benitez and supporters fuming. All Newcastle can do now is prepare for their match against Chelsea next Sunday.