Devastating Didier Drogba ended Newcastle's dream of a second European final with a stunning two-goal salvo to book Marseille a place in the UEFA Cup Final in Gothenburg on May 19.
The Ivory Coast hitman was outstanding as he found himself free of his first leg adversary, the injured Jonathan Woodgate.
It was an epic encounter between the duo at St James' Park, but when free of the England central defender at the second time of asking, Drogba made Newcastle pay with a superb strike in each half.
First he caught United on the counter-attack after just 12 minutes when he was left on a one-to-one with Aaron Hughes after the ineffective Hugo Viana missed the chance to head any danger clear.
Drogba, who had scored against every European opposition he had faced this season, took his tally for the competition into double figures when he raced from just inside his own half, held off Hughes and clinically beat Shay Given.
It was a poor first-half showing from Sir Bobby Robson's men who failed to get the necessary support to the front two of skipper Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi.
However, Newcastle were a different proposition after the break and were the better team in the second half - but were unable to get that most important of ingredients - an away goal.
It was the first time this season that Newcastle had failed to score on their European away travels.
Ameobi showed some good skills early in the second half when he cut in from the left to fire just wide and then Shearer on the turn drove at Fabien Barthez.
Britain's final European representatives knew an away goal would be crucial and produced a flowing move after 77 minutes that saw Darren Ambrose's right-wing cross headed across the face of the goal by Ameobi but substitute Lee Bowyer only managed to divert the ball wide.
Marseille's jewel in the crown Drogba settled the issue eight minutes from time from a well rehearsed free-kick routine that saw him lose Andy O'Brien and rifle the ball past Given from the edge of the box for his 33rd goal of the campaign.
Given then denied Drogba a hat-trick in the dying seconds before the man of the match left the field just before the whistle to a standing ovation.
Dejected United boss Robson praised his team after the game saying: "I am pleased with my players in every respect. All I asked the players was to give me everything and they did that.
"It's been a long campaign and we've done very well. This was a tough assignment and until the second goal went in they had not really prised our defence open and we had chances."