Newcastle 1-0 Sacramento Republic – NUFC Match Ratings

8. Moussa Sissoko - 4/10

Once again given a free role by McClaren, but once again so very wasteful. Sissoko played most of the game on the right hand side for Newcastle, but did pop up on the left during the second half. As per usual, a lot of what the team did going forward centred around the midfielder, which goes a long way to explaining why the game was so close. He was another that was affected by the dry pitch, which meant he couldn't really open his legs and morph into the freight train we all know he is capable of doing. The Frenchman sent out shot flying out of the ground in the first half, which tells you everything you need to know about his frustrating display.