Tottenham and Newcastle played out a 1-1 draw in their controversial post-season friendly in Melbourne before a late penalty shootout saw the Magpies earn the spoils.
Spurs controlled the bulk of the possession during the first half with neither side too keen to rush into much of an off-the-ball press in what was generally a competitive friendly Down Under, which attracted criticism for its timing between the season’s end and the summer’s major tournaments.
James Maddison hit the opener after 32 minutes when Nick Pope’s poor pass was gobbled up by the England man, with a hint of handball in his control which a Premier League VAR would surely have pulled him up for. In this environment though, he was free to expertly weave past a challenge and slam home in a much-needed display of sharpness before the Euros.
Pope made up for his error when denying Brennan Johnson from close range moments later before Newcastle levelled up.
Melbourne magic from @Madders10 🪄
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 22, 2024
Jacob Murphy, a first-half substitute for Kieran Trippier, raced down the right and his low cross was palmed towards Alexander Isak by Brandon Austin, handing the Magpies striker a tap-in.
George Abbott, Alfie Devine and Jamie Donley were among the youngsters handed a chance to impress off the bench in the second half.
Dane Scarlett headed wide before Donley’s snapshot off-target represented the best openings for Spurs to grab a late winner.
But the friendly lacked any real sense of flow as it wore on and both teams continued to pile on the substitutions, with Tottenham at least appearing to make it through this post-season trip without any fresh injury issues.
A penalty shootout decided the official winner of the friendly, which the Magpies won after Bryan Gil missed Spurs’ first effort.
