Newcastle and Howe must be streetwise to prosper in Marseille

The French club are second in Ligue 1 while De Zerbi and Greenwood will be motivated for Champions League clash

- Louise Taylor

Newcastle fans are travelling to Marseille with a soundtrack of uncertainty echoing in their ears. Quite apart from the official warnings about rampant pickpocketing, street crime and potential football-related violence, their phones seem full of concerned messages from families and friends.

Those oft-repeated exhortations to variously “take care”, “watch yourself” and “stay safe” in a city listed regularly among Europe’s most dangerous could, in a different context, easily apply to Eddie Howe’s team.

Although Newcastle arrived in the south of France yesterday fresh from their 2-1 home Premier League win against Manchester City on Saturday, and having beaten Union Saint-Gilloise, Benfica and Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League, their sole away victory since early April came in Brussels at Union SG.

Not that Howe was overly keen to discuss the psychological aspect of this travel sickness. “The Champions League is different to Premier League games,” said a manager whose team are sixth in the European table, with nine points from a possible 12 and automatic progression to the knockout phase almost within touching distance. “I don’t know if you can compare them.”

Perhaps not, but he and Newcastle's players will renew acquaintance here with a raft of faces familiar from past English encounters. If the Marseille manager, Roberto De Zerbi, once of Brighton, needs no introduction, nor does Mason Greenwood.