The Newcastle United Under-21 team drew goallessly with Real Sociedad on Tuesday night to begin their 2025–26 Premier League International Cup campaign.
In their first of four Group C games, the young Magpies, who are playing in the tournament for the first time since making it to the semi-finals in 2017–18, were unable to record a winning start. However, they were solid in defense at Whitley Park, recording their second clean sheet of the season in an otherwise even draw.
From the eight-team group, which also includes Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, and reigning champions Nottingham Forest, Newcastle hopes to go to the quarterfinals before taking on Paris Saint-Germain, Dinamo Zagreb, and Benfica.
Theo Folgado, the scrambling goalkeeper, was relieved when Alfie Harrison’s in-swinging corner landed on the crossbar, nearly giving Newcastle a flying start.
Sean Neave, an England Under-18 international named on the bench for Newcastle’s 2025 Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool, came dangerously close to scoring his tenth goal of the season at the under-21 level when he completed a deft turn and saw his deflected strike fly just wide of the left-hand post following a risky run.
Anthony Munda, who joined the Magpies’ Academy at the age of nine, controlled Seung-soo Park’s cross inside the penalty area before his low shot was stopped inside a packed penalty area as Newcastle continued their chase for an opening goal.
Shortly after Folgado sprinted out of his goal to deny Ben Parkinson before the loose ball fell into Harrison’s path, the hosts should have broken the impasse, but the 19-year-old’s first-time attempt went over the crossbar.
Although Sociedad captain Arkaitz Mariezkurrena came very close to putting the visitors ahead with a bending effort from the edge of the box that flew inches wide of the left-hand post with Magpies goalkeeper James Taylor rooted on his goal line, Newcastle went into halftime tied.
Cathal Heffernan, the captain of the Magpies, made a vital block in the second half to deny Sydney Osazuwa. The Sociedad striker had control of the ball within the area, but the Irish center-back bravely stopped his strong shot at goal.
James Taylor, a goalkeeper for United, made a critical save to keep Dario Ramirez from breaking the impasse. The Sociedad substitute’s stinging drive was crucially turned out for a corner by the teenager from Kettering.
The teenager from Winlaton nearly scored a spectacular solo goal, but Folgado easily handled his low drilled effort after Neave finished a mazy run from distance.
Despite Sociedad midfielder Unax Ayo nearly securing maximum points for the Spanish team by latching onto Taylor’s punched clearing before shooting his effort from the edge of the box wide of the left-hand post, Newcastle managed to secure their second clean sheet of the 2024–25 season.
On Friday night, Newcastle’s youth team will welcome PSG at Whitley Park in the Premier League International Cup [kickoff at 7 p.m. GMT].
James Taylor, Harrison Ashby, Charlie McArthur, Cathal Heffernan (c), Miodrag Pivaš, Scott Bailey, Alfie Harrison, Anthony Munda, Ben Parkinson [Joe Brayson 70], Sean Neave [Thomas Bryant 76], and Seung-soo Park make up the Newcastle United Under-21 team.
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