Newcastle United secured their first Champions League points of the season with a one-sided 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday night, with Nick Woltemade opening the scoring before Anthony Gordon netted twice from the penalty spot and Harvey Barnes added a late fourth.

The £69million summer signing silenced critics by registering his third goal in four starts, while Gordon’s composure from the spot and Barnes’ strike capped off a dominant display for Eddie Howe’s side in Belgium.

Woltemade answers critics

Woltemade’s opener came with a stroke of fortune as Sandro Tonali’s long-range effort deflected off him and wrong-footed goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen.

The goal gave Newcastle the platform they needed to take control of the game, despite Union’s early threat from captain Christian Burgess and Kevin Rodriguez.

The hosts pushed back through Adem Zorgane and Anan Khalaili, but goalkeeper Nick Pope stood firm to preserve Newcastle’s lead.

Union’s momentum was halted just before half-time when Anthony Elanga’s burst into the box forced a foul on Gordon, who converted the resulting penalty to double the visitors’ advantage.

Gordon’s double seals the contest

Union came out strongly after the interval, but their hopes were dashed when VAR spotted a handball by Fedde Leysen.

Gordon stepped up again to score his second penalty of the night and his third Champions League goal of the campaign, further extending Newcastle’s lead.

Harvey Barnes, introduced as a substitute, added a fourth late on after Will Osula’s breakaway run, sealing Newcastle’s biggest Champions League victory to date.

Howe gets lift-off in Europe

The result provided a timely boost for Eddie Howe’s men after their opening defeat to Barcelona, easing pressure and igniting their European campaign.

With experienced defender Kieran Trippier back in the starting XI and Gordon finding form, Newcastle now look well placed to build on the result moving on.